Red Kettle campaigns in Watertown, Massena, Ogdensburg to reach or surpass fund-raising goals

Christmas came a little early for the Ogdensburg Salvation Army.

A person who wanted to remain anonymous came Wednesday into the office of Ogdensburg Salvation Army Capt. Angela S. Shaffer to donate a $10,000 check toward the agency’s Red Kettle campaign after the person heard the agency was going to be short on its $43,000 fundraising goal.

“He made it out here in my office, and I was in tears,” she said Thursday. “It’ll help us to continue to do more. I wish the family a very Merry Christmas.”

The donation brought the amount raised to $38,000 as of Thursday afternoon. By 4 p.m. Saturday, when all Red Kettle campaigns end, Capt. Shaffer said, she expects to reach the fundraising goal.

Both she and Watertown Salvation Army Capt. Evelyn M. Hopping said their campaigns are close to where they were last year at this time.

“Last year we raised $103,000, and we’d definitely get that if not more,” Capt. Hopping said Thursday.

As of Thursday, the Watertown Salvation Army had collected about $97,000.

The Massena Salvation Army has collected about $50,000 of its $53,000 fundraising goal.

While raising a few thousand dollars in two or three days may sound like a daunting task, each Salvation Army captain said Red Kettle campaigns tend to do best during these final shopping days of the season.

“It’s one of the busiest weekends and people are so much more in the Christmas spirit and are giving,” Capt. Hopping said.

Money collected from Red Kettle campaigns is used for each agency’s Christmas efforts and year-round programs. Red Kettle campaigns are the largest fundraising efforts for all three Salvation Army chapters.

Capt. Shaffer said one disappointment with this year’s campaign has been the need to hire bell ringers because the number of volunteers doesn’t equal the number of available shifts or even kettles. One goal already for the 2012 Ogdensburg Red Kettle campaign is to drastically reduce or eliminate paid workers.

Increasing Salvation Army presence throughout the greater Massena area has significantly helped the 1.5-month-long campaign, according to Capt. Ronald J. Heimbrock. He said kettles placed in large businesses, countertop kettles at small businesses and paper Salvation Army shields for sale for $1 each at some businesses have all helped the agency come close to its goal.

Capt. Heimbrock said he knows he’s not out of the woods yet.

“We’re still looking for volunteers to ring bells,” he said. “It’s more difficult to find around Christmas. I need people who have some free time.”

People or community organizations interested in volunteering are asked to call Capt. Hopping at 782-4470, Capt. Heimbrock at 769-5154 or Capt. Shaffer at 393-3351.