PRESS RELEASE
Twin Cities Kettle Kickoff Weekend
Begins Nov. 12 at Cub Foods in St. Anthony
Needed: bell ringers, cash givers and 5,000 do-gooders
ROSEVILLE, Minn. – The Salvation Army’s 2009 Kettle Kickoff is set for Thursday, Nov. 12 from 8 a.m.–7 p.m. at the Cub Foods in St. Anthony, 3930 Silver Lake Road NE. Afterward, the fun continues all weekend long.
Kettle Kickoff features and events on Nov. 12 include:
• Free refreshments, prizes and live broadcast by KOOL 108.
• A 10 a.m. First Bell of the Season ceremony with special guests, metro area Salvation Army officers and hundreds of bells and red kettles.
• DOUBLE DONATIONS: Donations made to kettles at 52 Twin Cities area Cub Foods stores from 10 a.m.–8 p.m. will be matched by Cub Foods, up to $5,000.
• CASH FOR KINDNESS: The Salvation Army is looking for 5,000 do-gooders. People who perform a good deed for the day will have their act rewarded with a $1 donation to The Salvation Army courtesy of Cub Foods. Suggested good deeds will be available online here or next to red kettles at Cub Foods locations throughout the Twin Cities. Up to $5,000 in funds are available.
• The Salvation Army will showcase its own Ignore No More artwork called Cardboard City, a 20-by-20 exhibit designed to make observes part of the art.
• Also on display will be The Salvation Army’s 8-foot-tall and freshly-painted kettle, Big SAL, and hundreds of standard kettles that have been repainted thanks to the Good Deeds of six metro area Maaco shops.
Other Kettle Kickoff weekend events, activities and opportunities:
The Salvation Army will have a booth at the Christian Community Fair, a free family event at the St. Paul River Centre on Nov. 13 from 4 p.m.–10 p.m. and Nov. 14 from
10 a.m.–6 p.m. Visitors will receive a cloth shopping bag good for 5 percent off purchases made at Salvation Army thrift stores. Saturday at 11 a.m. local author Scott Cornwell will read and sign copies of his new Salvation Army-inspired children’s book, “The Bell.” In addition, The Salvation Army has sponsored the fair’s 100-plus-team dodgeball tournament on Saturday.
The Twin Cities Salvation Army’s 2009 Christmas Campaign goal is $8.7 million, about $3 million of which will be raised in red kettles. The annual budget of the Twin Cities Salvation Army is $29 million, with public contributions accounting for $17 million.
From Nov. 13 to Dec. 24 there will be more than 100,000 hours of bell ringing available in the Twin Cities at more than 400 kettle sites. For more information or to register, please click here or call 651-746-3400.
The Twin Cities Salvation Army serves more than 200,000 people a year through its 25 local centers of operation. Daily it serves 2,000 hot meals and shelters 850 people. More than 14,000 local volunteers help The Salvation Army provide a multitude of services, from child daycare to senior housing. 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.
