PRESS RELEASE
Christmas Maaco-ver: Auto Body Company Painting
1,200 Salvation Army Kettles
Participating stores in Minneapolis, Fridley, Little Canada,
West St. Paul, St. Louis Park and Burnsville
ROSEVILLE, Minn. – October 9, 2009 – Call it a Maaco-ver.
This month six Twin Cities metro area Maaco Collision Repair & Auto Painting centers are coating 1,200 faded Salvation Army kettles in shiny red paint. Each of the centers has agreed to handle 200 kettles a piece, an overall effort worth about $12,000 in materials and labor.
“These kettles have 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 will add years to the life of the kettles. It will also save us a bundle of money that we will use to serve people in need this holiday season.”
The painting began Oct. 1 (see photos) and will continue through the end of the month at Maaco centers in Minneapolis, Fridley, Little Canada, West St. Paul, St. Louis Park and Burnsville. The Salvation Army will be dropping off kettles at each location on Tuesday, Oct. 13 and again on Monday, Oct. 19.
Maaco joined the effort when The Salvation Army approached Ron Wuchko, owner of the Maaco on East Lake St. and 20th Ave. in Minneapolis, who agreed to help because The Salvation Army once supported a member of his family battling addiction. After Wuchko agreed, his store manager, Marwan Kawas, began recruiting other Maaco centers.
“The Salvation Army does a lot of good work,” Wuchko said. “They’re part of the community and so are we. We are happy to help.”
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 sites across the Twin Cities metro area.
The Twin Cities Salvation Army has an annual budget of about $24 million, nearly $3 million of which is raised in red kettles during the six weeks before Christmas.
The Salvation Army serves more than 200,000 people in the Twin Cities and is a safety net for those with no place to turn. It serves 2,100 hot meals a day and houses more than 850 people every night.
To volunteer with The Salvation Army or to make a credit card donation, call 651-746-3400 or 1-800-SAL-ARMY. Checks made out to The Salvation Army may be sent to 2445 Prior Ave., Roseville, MN 55113. Click below to make an online donation.
