Jill Schramm/MDN Megan Leitch, left, and Hunter Wilfong, right, assist Isabella in making a contribution to the Salvation Army red kettle in Dakota Square Mall during the kick-off event for holiday giving Saturday, Nov. 15.

The Minot Salvation Army has set its fundraising goal at $60,000 in its annual Red Kettle Campaign that officially kicked off Saturday, Nov. 15.

“With generous support, I believe we can make and exceed that goal,” said Lt. Trevor Reed with the local Salvation Army. Although the campaign didn’t quite meet last year’s goal of $58,000, Reed said, God still took care of the needs.

There are nine sites in Minot: Hobby Lobby, the four Marketplace Foods locations, Runnings, Cash Wise Foods, Dakota Square Mall and two Walmart locations. All are indoors with the exception of Walmart.

As of Saturday, 530 volunteer hours ringing the bell at a kettle in Minot were filled, Reed said.

“That means there’s 2,071 opportunities that you can join in with us,” he said. Anyone interested in filling a slot as a bell ringer can call the Salvation Army or visit RegisterToRing.com to sign up.

Reed said an empty kettle might generate no donations while a kettle with a volunteer bell ringer can generate from $80 to $100 an hour.

“We need your help this season to help make a difference because, alone, we can do very little, but together, we can make a big difference in our community,” he said.

“There is a rich history to it,” Reed added of Red Kettle campaigns. “For the last 134 years, the Red Kettle has been a staple of the Christmas season. It goes all the way back to 1891 when a gentleman in San Francisco saw a lot of hungry people and thought, ‘What can I do to make a difference?’ So, he took to the streets with a kettle and that helped fund that Christmas meal. If we fast forward to today, this Red Kettle helps really fund our services that the Salvation Army provides to the Ward County area and it helps provide the necessary services that so many need in our community.”

Jill Schramm/MDN
Lt. Trevor Reed with the Salvation Army in Minot speaks at the Red Kettle Campaign kick-off in Dakota Square Mall Saturday, Nov. 15. Members of the Kiwanis Band, behind Reed, performed at the event.