Rice County Salvation Army Surpassed Red Kettle Goal

Troy Dunn, Rice County Sheriff and Chairperson of the Rice County Salvation Army Board today thanked everyone involved in the holiday season Red Kettle fundraising efforts.  Each year from Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve red kettles are placed at locations in Faribault, Northfield and Lonsdale.

Volunteers ring bells to call attention to the kettles and friends and neighbors from throughout the community make donations.  I knew going into ringing on Christmas Eve that we were close to surpassing this year's $60,000 goal.

A few days later I phoned Dunn and he said the official totals were not in yet but it did appear the goal had been surpassed.  He told me he was, "Doing cartwheels."

Dunn told us, "We still had checks trickling in last week so I'm just so happy with the response of everybody in Rice County and the money we brought in this year.  We've had a goal of $50,000 for quite a few years and we've never reached that.  Last year I think we raised $36,000.  To hit $62,000 this year and see the needs going up and up and up."

The goal was increased this year despite the inability to hit the previous goal.  The reason simply was the need.

Dunn says, "We were averaging between three and four thousand dollars a month that we had to use to assist people.  This gives us a little more room especially if it continues to increase with COVID.  Once a lot of these surplus checks and different things stop coming from the government and people need help."

He concluded, "Thank you Rice County.  We appreciate it.  To everybody that rang the bells, to everybody that donated, kudos to you."