Bring on the Bells!
This Christmas season, rampant inflation will make the holidays even more chaotic for families struggling to get by.
The Salvation Army and local leaders want you to help us fight back by ringing bells at a red kettle. Sign up to ring.
Red kettles are an effective weapon in the battle to help families survive record-setting costs for gas, groceries and housing. Bell ringers raise an average of $30 per hour to help The Salvation Army Northern Division provide housing and millions of meals for people all over Minnesota and North Dakota.
“Kettle donations allow us to serve untold numbers of people in our community,” said Lt. Col. Dan Jennings, leader of The Salvation Army Northern Division. “At the end of the day, however, only one number matters most – the one person who stands before us, asking for help.”
Many local leaders and celebrities have committed to ringing bells for The Salvation Army Northern Division this Christmas season. Please join them by signing up to ring.
Bell ringing is a fun and easy way to make a big difference, with hundreds of red kettle locations throughout the Twin Cities, Greater Minnesota and North Dakota. Recruit your friends, family and coworkers to join you and raise even more money for families in need.
K.J. Osborn
Not only is Minnesota Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn scheduled to ring bells this Christmas season, he is starring in several local commercials promoting the activity. He supports The Salvation Army because his own family once struggled and he relates to what others are going through in these uncertain times. Read more about K.J.’s story.
“I’m proud to support The Salvation Army and all the great things they do for the people of Minnesota,” said Osborn, a fan favorite who has caught several game-winning touchdowns during the past two seasons. “To use my voice to bring awareness to The Salvation Army’s mission is a great thing.”
Dan Stoltz
The President and CEO of SPIRE Credit Union is a community favorite bell ringer. Dan Stoltz became hooked on ringing several years ago and went on to be our Red Kettle Christmas Chair in 2020.
“Like most Minnesotans, I believe in giving back to the community,” said Stoltz, who has volunteered at more than a dozen red kettle locations in the Twin Cities. “Minnesotans always step up when there is a great need.”
Mike Stigers
The success of our local Red Kettle Campaign is largely attributed to local Cub grocery stores, where kettle donations total around $1 million annually. That’s about one-third of all kettle donations given in the Twin Cities every Christmas season.
Cub CEO Mike Stigers has been ringing for years and is a staunch ally. He helped kick off this year’s campaign at our “Tree of Lights” ceremony in downtown St. Paul on Nov. 12.
“It’s more important than ever that we dig deep and take care of those in need,” he said.
Adam and Caitlin Thielen
Twin Cities power couple Adam and Caitlin Thielen – founders of the Thielen Foundation – are friends of The Salvation Army and always make time to help.
For years they have provided Christmas presents and Thanksgiving turkeys for families in need during the holiday season. They know the power of the kettle and ringing bells.
“It means a lot to our family to give back,” said Adam Thielen, a Minnesota native and Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings. “Hopefully it has a trickle-down effect that makes other people want to pay it forward.”
This holiday season, The Salvation Army is calling on all of our supporters to Love Beyond. #LoveBeyond is a national Salvation Army campaign that encourages people to put love above all else, in order to show families in need that love exists beyond their most difficult situations – be it hunger, overdue bills, eviction, addiction, and other hardships. Join us by giving a donation, signing up to volunteer, or ringing bells at a Red Kettle.