Christmas Maaco-ver: Auto Body Company Painting 1,200 Kettles

Call it a Maaco-ver.

All through October, six Twin Cities metro area Maaco Collision Repair & Auto Painting centers will be spraying shiny red paint on 1,200 faded Salvation Army kettles. Each of the centers agreed to handle 200 kettles a piece, an overall effort worth about $12,000 in materials and labor.

“These kettles had taken a beating over the years from frigid weather and general wear and tear,” said Major Darryl Leedom, Commander of the Twin Cities Salvation Army. “Maaco’s donation is a major blessing.”

The painting began Oct. 1 (photos) at the Minneapolis Maaco on East Lake St. and 20th Ave., owned by Ron Wuchko (pictured, right).

Wuchko was the first to offer assistance when The Salvation Army began approaching auto body shops last month. He said he has a soft spot for The Salvation Army because the organization once helped his troubled son battle addiction.

He also wanted to help, he said, because he’s an alcoholic. Now sober for 39 years, Wuchko believes in the extensive rehabilitation programs The Salvation Army offers through its many Twin Cities facilities.
  
“The Salvation Army does a lot of good work,” he said. “They’re part of the community and so are we. We are happy to help.”

Once Wuchko was on board, store manager Marwan Kawas (pictured, left) began recruiting additional Maaco stores in the metro area. Five others joined, including those in Fridley, Burnsville, Little Canada, West St. Paul and St. Louis Park.

“Marwan did a great job of putting this together,” Wuchko said. “This all would not have happened without him.”

The kettles will be finished in time for The Salvation Army’s Kettle Kickoff on Nov. 12, when they’ll be distributed to more than 400 kettle sites across the Twin Cities metro area.

The Twin Cities Salvation Army has an annual budget of nearly $24 million, nearly $3 million of which is raised in red kettles during the six weeks before Christmas.

See the pretty new kettles for yourself by signing up to be a bell ringer. To learn more, click here.