2020 Bell Ringing Sign-Ups Open to the Public in La Crosse County
Contact:
Alex Riley
The Salvation Army of La Crosse County
alex.riley@usc.salvationarmy.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2020 Bell Ringing Sign-Ups Open to the Public
LA CROSSE – The Salvation Army’s largest fundraiser of the year is less than one month away, and funds raised through the organization’s iconic red kettles are at risk this year due to COVID-19 as requests for services are at an all-time high.
With the increase in services already provided in response to the pandemic, the organization could serve up to 155 percent more people in 2020 with Christmas assistance, including putting food on the table, paying bills, providing shelter and helping place gifts under the tree. At the same time, due to the closing of retail stores, consumers carrying less cash and coins, and the decline in foot traffic, The Salvation Army could see up to a 50 percent decrease in funds raised nationally through the red kettles, which would limit their capability to provide services for the most vulnerable.
Saturday, November 14th – The Salvation Army will kick-off its bell ringing portion of the 2020 Red Kettle Campaign. The Campaign raises approximately one-third of The Salvation Army’s annual budget, funding various daily & monthly programs such as the Emergency Shelter & Meal Program, and seasonal programs such as the Back2School & Angel Giving Tree programs which supply low-income families with clothing and Christmas Food Baskets.
Throughout the Campaign, The Salvation Army of La Crosse will rely heavily on volunteers to fill more than 2,600 bell ringing shifts at 19 different sites in La Crosse, Onalaska, and Holmen. Each shift is two hours long and falls between 10:00am and 8:00pm. There are also limited bell ringing opportunities in West Salem and Bangor. Bell ringers can sign up for shifts by going to www.RegisterToRing.com or by contacting The Salvation Army’s office at (608) 782-6126. New this year: Bell Ringers will have the ability to either ring bells in-person or online through The Salvation Army’s virtual Red Kettles, where community members can ring from the comfort of their own home to help raise funds for The Salvation Army. LINK TO VIRTUAL RED KETTLE
The Salvation Army will be hosting a drive-through event on November 10th and 11th where community members can get their very own ‘Bell Ringer in a Bag’, which will include a personal pair of bells, apron, mask, hand sanitizer, and precautions on how to ring bells in a socially distanced environment. This event is free and open to the public.
Bell ringing runs through Tuesday, December 24th. The Red Kettle Campaign as a whole runs through December 31st, 2020.