By Craig Marx, Editor

As we soon enter the month of December next week, the time for Salvation Army bell ringers and their signature red collection kettles is already upon us as a reminder of the giving side of the holidays.

“We’ve really gotten off to a good start,” long time Salvation Army volunteer and coordinator Cavan Kelly said. “Working with the Antigo Community Theater this past month during their production of ‘Wizard of Oz,’ our ‘Kettle Kickoff’ helped us raise over $10,000 to start the season.”

Local businesses helped the Salvation Army get the wheels rolling on the giving season as both the City Gas Company and Draeger Oil matched $2,500 donations for the kickoff event.

As of now, more than 50 people have signed up for at least one shift ringing bells in the Antigo area, most taking their posts closer to actual Christmas time. The Salvation Army is always looking for more volunteers and has made the sign-up process as easy as possible online. Prospective bell ringers can visit www.SAlanglade.org to register for shifts and can sign up for whatever locations, time slots and frequency that works with their schedule.

Last year’s donations totaled over $100,000, including the third gold coin in three years landing in the red kettle outside of Fleet Farm. These $20 coins that have both mysteriously and generously been donated are valued at over $1,200 apiece. While the more exotic donations are yet to come to grace the Salvation Army’s local kettles this season, the bell ringing holidays are off to a generous start.