Celebrating Christmas in July
Happy Christmas in July!
The Salvation Army is an iconic symbol of Christmas and today, July 25th, we mark five months out until the big day! To celebrate our favorite holiday, we have some exciting announcements of what’s coming this Christmas season!
LaRoyce Hawkins: 2018 Celebrity Kettle Ambassador
We are pleased to announce our Celebrity Kettle Ambassador is Harvey, Illinois native and Chicago P.D. star, actor LaRoyce Hawkins! He’ll be lending his talents to appear in this year’s Christmas Kettle video, and will don the red apron to ring a bell at a Kettle this winter.
The Salvation Army Celebrity Kettle Ambassador spearheads the season’s bell ringing efforts across the Metropolitan Division. Before those red kettles take their stands, be sure to follow Hawkins on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter so you don’t miss his Kettle Ambassador posts! Maybe you can pop by when he’s ringing and snap a photo while you drop some cash in his kettle.
Paint the Town Red
Speaking of those iconic Red Kettles – they got a touch up today thanks to amazing Wintrust Bank and Topco Associates volunteers! Sparkling red again, the kettles are ready to hit the streets for Bell Ringing Season. See for yourself when you ring at a kettle this winter. Register early to be a volunteer bell ringer in your community or your favorite red kettle location!
View more photos from our painting day on Flickr!
Christmas Food Box Project
Christmas Dinner is a meaningful time for families to gather together, and we want to make sure all families are able to enjoy it. This year, The Salvation Army is planning to provide Christmas Dinner for 11,000 struggling neighbors with the Christmas Food Box Project. Thanks to the generous support of Topco Associates and Stampede Meat, we’re a third of the way to our goal. Your gift today will help provide a special Christmas Dinner for disadvantaged families throughout Greater Chicagoland.
Give a donation to the Christmas Food Box Project today!
Red Kettle Mascot Day
Giving Tuesday 2018 (November 27th) is officially Red Kettle Mascot Day! You’ll find Southpaw (Chicago White Sox), Skates (Chicago Wolves), Clark (Chicago Cubs), and of course, our very own Captain Shield celebrating the Red Kettle season throughout the Greater Chicagoland area. Check back with us in autumn to plan your photo opp with these and more Chicago favorites!
Camaraderie & Competition
Two of our favorite NBC5 team members and faithful supporters of The Salvation Army—Andy Avalos and Phil Rogers—are taking their bell ringing to a new level. This Christmas season they’ll compete to see who can bring in the most donations. Tune in to our social media to get more details in the coming months.