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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Christmas kettles stuffed with cash

By: Jordan Thompson

Posted: 01/5/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Capt. Les Marshall says the city set a record for donations.

THE Salvation Army's kettles were overflowing with cash this holiday season.

Winnipeg set a local record for donations, raising $368,000 during the six-week campaign, contributing to the Salvation Army's record-setting year at a national level as well.

The Salvation Army raised $20 million across Canada. Across Manitoba and Saskatchewan, $1.5 million was raised, making Winnipeg accountable for nearly one-quarter of all the money raised throughout the Prairies.

"Winnipeg definitely led the charge in Manitoba," said Salvation Army spokesman Capt. Les Marshall. "It was nice to be able to hold up our reputation of being some of the most generous Canadians per capita."

The money raised in Winnipeg stays here and funds a number of the Salvation Army's operations.

"The money is not only used at Christmastime to support families and children, but it goes to our 24 facilities in Winnipeg and funds the 40 to 70 programs we run each year and on a daily basis," said Marshall. "This year we supplied 5,000 families' needs. Over 15,000 children."

In total, 6,300 hours of volunteers' time went into raising the donations, just in Winnipeg.

"One of the neatest things is seeing children donate to the kettles and the smile on their faces," Marshall said. "That's one of the most rewarding experiences for our volunteers, who may have had their own lives touched by the Salvation Army years ago."

The iconic red kettles of the Salvation Army have been popping up across Canada during the holidays for more than a century, but the organization is also starting to make use of modern technology to bring in donations.

"One of the new options was FillTheKettle.com," Marshall said. "People could log on from anywhere and make an online donation to a specific location in Canada."

The Salvation Army also used QR codes this year, allowing people with the proper technology to simply scan a code with their phone to make a donation.

jordan.thompson@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 5, 2012 A2

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