Soto: SA bell ringers raise $6,000 for use locally

To the Editor:
As Kettle Coordinator for the Salvation Army, I want to express my gratitude to those who gave so generously over the past holiday season. There was a shorter time frame for ringing and raising money this year, but that didn’t prevent people from giving of the finances and their time.
Together we raised nearly $6,000. What is so wonderful about that is that all the money raised here stays here to assist individuals and families in crisis with things like heating and rental assistance, vehicle repairs or gas so they can get where they need to be.
Sunshine Foods allowed us to have our large kettle in the store along with our volunteer bell ringers, and Bomgaars and Luverne Ace allowed us to have smaller kettles at their checkouts. In addition, Minnwest Bank and Patti Wieneke collected from the kettles and handled the accounts.
We have dedicated bell ringers who spend many hours ringing the bells and sharing cheerful smiles. They are amazing and truly make the campaign possible.
I would also like to thank all those who give. Every dollar makes an impact and we are truly grateful for community generosity. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone for making this campaign a success
Carrie Soto, Luverne
Red Kettle Campaign Coordinator, Salvation Army