Snow Stops Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign in Minnesota, North Dakota

December 14, 2010
Christie Sutton | christie_sutton@uss.salvationarmy.org | (404) 728-1300

Roseville, MN - The Salvation Army stopped its bell ringing and pulled all of its donation kettles from store fronts on Saturday, due blizzard conditions in Minnesota. Annette Bauer, public relations director for the Salvation Army Northern Division, said it’s the first time in history Salvation Army bell ringing in the division has been canceled and kettles pulled due to weather. “We even had some kettles that we were unable to get out and retrieve!” Concerned about the effect this will have on The Salvation Army’s iconic Christmas-season fund raising effort, Bauer continued, “This will put us $500,000 behind in the Twin Cities alone by Monday, and The Salvation Army across the country has already had a tough season of fundraising.”

Volunteers were urged to stay home and not try to get to their scheduled sites Saturday. The Northern Division covers both Minnesota and North Dakota.

The loss of these funds will directly effect the work The Salvation Army is able to do in its feeding programs, food pantries, homeless shelters and the countless other services that The Salvation Army provides in Minnesota and North Dakota. Donors in Minnesota or North Dakota who wish to help offset the effects of the blizzard are asked to go to http://www.thesalarmy.org/cont/donate.htm to learn how to donate to The Salvation Army’s efforts in the Twin Cities and all across the country.

The effects of the blizzard aren’t only hurting The Salvation Army, according to Bauer “The Mall of America even closed its doors on Saturday to encourage shoppers and employees to stay at home.”

The winter storm shut down all runways at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, shut down Interstate 90 from South Dakota to Albert Lea, closed countless businesses and organizations and crippled road travel.

Submitted by:

Office of Public and Corporate Relations

The Salvation Army USA Central Territory

Community Relations and Development Department

10 W Algonquin Road, Des Plaines, IL 60018

usc_media_relations@usc.salvationarmy.org

About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army annually helps more than 30 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction, and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at 7,600 centers of operation around the country. In the first-ever listing of “America’s Favorite Charities” by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Salvation Army ranked as the country’s largest privately funded, direct-service nonprofit. For more information, visit www.SalvationArmyUSA.org. Follow us on Twitter @SalvationArmyUS and #DoingTheMostGood.