Cadillac Corps Officer Lives Inside Giant Red Kettle Until Donation Goal Met
*Lt. Bock looks down from the giant red kettle
Lt. Gregory Bock of The Salvation Army Cadillac corps has a unique tradition to raise awareness for his local Red Kettle campaign: he climbs inside a giant red kettle and lives in it until the goal is met.
That might sound like exaggeration, but it’s what he’s been doing every December for the past five years.
“I get up in the kettle with the intention of staying there 24/7, only coming down to use the restroom. I sleep in the kettle, eat in the kettle, and use it as a platform to share about The Salvation Army,” Lt. Bock said.
*Left: the giant red kettle, right: inside the kettle
He began his yearly giant kettle stays in Cheboygan, Michigan in 2016 and continued it at his first appointment in Muscatine Iowa for three years. Now it continues to be a tradition he looks forward to.
“I go up with very little. Maybe a mat to sleep on and some hand warmers. As people stop and ask why there is a crazy guy living in a giant red kettle, the magic begins!”
However, this is about more than a donation goal, it is an opportunity to spread awareness of what The Salvation Army does and to spread the love of Jesus.
Living in the kettle allows Lt. Bock to remind passersby of what the red kettles are all about, and how the money put in them helps people in need. Some are also inspired to give him things to make his giant kettle stay easier.
*Lt. Bock waves to festively dressed patrons
“People bring me what I need. I already had donated so far this year a sub-zero sleeping bag, a buddy heater and propane tanks. I try not to use electric heat because those who are truly homeless and on the street, don’t have that luxury,” Lt. Bock said.
Based the reactions the giant kettle has received in past years, Lt. Bock is sure to reach his goal and inspire others in the process.
“The kettle campaign is over 130 years old, and I have heard from people in other communities that they never truly understood it until they experienced “the man in the can.”
This year the Cadillac corps goal is $120,000 with about $50,000 to go. Click here to donate to support Cadillac’s goal. Follow his story on Facebook.