ROCHESTER, Minn. – A Salvation Army red donation kettle at the JCPenney store in Apache Mall was stolen. Security cameras showed a man and woman breaking the kettle from its moorings in the late evening when nobody was around, police said. How much was in the kettle? Unknown, police said. The local Salvation Army has a goal of raising $350,000 through bell-ringing red kettles. “The Red Kettles and bells are a significant part of our fundraising efforts,” said Cornell Voeller, the Army’s local major.
Verbatim
Voeller: “We haven’t had a full-sized red kettle stolen in Rochester in years. We are especially glad that no one was adversely affected, and we can move forward with our Christmas campaign with hopes of meeting our kettle goal by year’s end. The people we serve are in severe need, and the funds we raise from the red kettles are critical to our operating budget in order to meet those needs.”
Since 1891.
Red Kettle profile
The Red Kettle charitable tradition dates to San Francisco in 1891. A Salvation Army officer, Joseph McFee, remembered from his seafaring days that a large pot was displayed on Stage Landing at Liverpool for passersby to make anonymous donations. McFee placed a crab pot and tripod at a San Francisco Bay ferry landing. He rang a bell and called passersby: “Keep the pot boiling.” It’s become a widespread Salvation Army tradition, although many kettles nowadays are self-ringing, play Christmas music, and accept credit cards. Anything goes. Most donations are cash but the Army also finds checks, jewlery, and sometimes bullion.