Love & Gratitude: $5K Red Kettle Match in Honor of Dr. Fred Kuipers
Thanksgiving is a holiday that celebrates gratitude and the many blessings in our lives. For Andrea Kuipers, it is also an opportunity to honor the memory of her late husband while giving back to a local charity. On Friday, November 29 and Saturday, November 30, all donations made to The Salvation Army's iconic Red Kettles in Tippecanoe County will be doubled up to $5,000 thanks to this special gift.
The matching gift is being made in honor of Dr. Fred Kuipers, Andrea's late husband, with the hope that others are encouraged to support The Salvation Army the way that did for so many years.
Andrea Kuipers shared a message with The Salvation Army explaining why it was important to her family to give back in this way:
My family and I are pleased to support the work of the Salvation Army through our donation to the Red Kettle Match Program. We donate to honor the memory of my husband, Fred Kuipers. As a physician he gave much to our community, and after his retirement from medicine he greatly enjoyed encouraging the community to donate to The Salvation Army. Each holiday season, he looked forward to standing at a Salvation Army Red Kettle and ringing the bell as an an invitation to give. We are continuing his legacy and asking you to give generously to the Red Kettle program this season. The Salvation Army works joyfully and tirelessly to meet the needs of struggling families in our community. In addition to food, shelter, clothing, and financial help, they offer a Pathway of Hope program that offers life-changing opportunities through education, counseling, resources and care for the entire family. All this is done through their faithful use of our donated dollars, plus a great deal of faith - faith in God, faith in each person they help, and faith in us, the Lafayette community. When you hear that Red Kettle bell, would you please consider giving to The Salvation Army this season? Thank you.
Donations made to The Salvation Army's Red Kettles fund programs and services throughout the year, helping thousands of local residents find the help - and hope - they need. Whether through youth programs, the food pantry, or the innovative Pathway of Hope program, the Tippecanoe County families helped by The Salvation Army depend upon the generosity of shoppers giving to Red Kettles each holiday season.
"All matching dollars will help further our abilities to help families in need," said Major Marlys Anderson of The Salvation Army Lafayette Corps. "These dollars challenge people of our community to reach deeper into their pockets providing hope and extending a helping hand to our community in a much grander way. Thank you for all that you do to make a difference in lives of others and to bring Christmas cheer to those who might not have had such a joyful time this season."
Shoppers looking for a Red Kettle this week will find bell ringers at Walmart, Sam's Club, Hobby Lobby, and near JCPenney and Kohl’s at the Tippecanoe Mall. Volunteer bell ringers are needed to ensure that the goal of raising $5,000 in just two days can be achieved. Anyone interested in volunteering to ring a bell this week is invited to visit RegisterToRing.com and find a location, date, and time that works for their schedule.