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PITTSBURG —
‘Tis the season to be jolly, and Salvation Army of Pittsburg representatives have begun letting area residents know it’s also the season to give.
Bell ringers started working collection kettle stations in Meadowbrook Mall Thursday, and will continue to add posts in the coming days.
Stations will be set up at businesses such as Walmart, Ron’s Supermarket, Walgreen’s, Dillon’s, Dollar General and Big Lots, among others, Salvation Army Capt. Gary Gugala said.
The money will be used to help fund the Wesley House’s annual food drive. This year’s goal is $65,000, up nearly $5,000 from last year’s total.
“We’re going to have about 1,200 families sign up this year,” Gugala said. “A lot of people are coming to our area because of our hospitality and the way we do things here.”
Toward the end of the year nearly 2,500 area residents will volunteer at a kettle station, Gugala continued. That’s due in part to the help of a Pittsburg State University student who volunteered at kettle stations last year, he said.
“He knew a lot of people and is getting them involved,” Gugala said. “About a week to 10 days before Christmas is when people will really start to get involved. It’s all about preparing and getting the word out.”
Gugala said the emergency response canteen van will make the rounds to the various stations to deliver food and hot chocolate. And in the spirit of the season, the Salvation Army will give several Pittsburg residents who are down on their luck jobs as ringers.
“One of the guys we hired last year did so well that he got hired on at the mall,” Gugala said. “That’s really what we’re all about.”
Also, Pittsburg bell ringer Daniel Perry will attempt to break his own bell-ringing record this year. Last year he broke the Kansas and Missouri record of 36 straight hours ringing a bell. The record was short-lived, but this year he is going to attempt to break the 60-hour world record.
‘Tis the season to be jolly, and Salvation Army of Pittsburg representatives have begun letting area residents know it’s also the season to give.
Bell ringers started working collection kettle stations in Meadowbrook Mall Thursday, and will continue to add posts in the coming days.
Stations will be set up at businesses such as Walmart, Ron’s Supermarket, Walgreen’s, Dillon’s, Dollar General and Big Lots, among others, Salvation Army Capt. Gary Gugala said.
The money will be used to help fund the Wesley House’s annual food drive. This year’s goal is $65,000, up nearly $5,000 from last year’s total.
“We’re going to have about 1,200 families sign up this year,” Gugala said. “A lot of people are coming to our area because of our hospitality and the way we do things here.”
Toward the end of the year nearly 2,500 area residents will volunteer at a kettle station, Gugala continued. That’s due in part to the help of a Pittsburg State University student who volunteered at kettle stations last year, he said.
“He knew a lot of people and is getting them involved,” Gugala said. “About a week to 10 days before Christmas is when people will really start to get involved. It’s all about preparing and getting the word out.”
Gugala said the emergency response canteen van will make the rounds to the various stations to deliver food and hot chocolate. And in the spirit of the season, the Salvation Army will give several Pittsburg residents who are down on their luck jobs as ringers.
“One of the guys we hired last year did so well that he got hired on at the mall,” Gugala said. “That’s really what we’re all about.”
Also, Pittsburg bell ringer Daniel Perry will attempt to break his own bell-ringing record this year. Last year he broke the Kansas and Missouri record of 36 straight hours ringing a bell. The record was short-lived, but this year he is going to attempt to break the 60-hour world record.
