NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Major Paul James with the Salvation Army in Hutchinson said that they are still looking for bell ringers between now and Christmas.
"Ringing the bell, when people think about the Salvation Army, they think about the toys and the food that we give to people, but how many times do you see a bell ringer when you walk in and out of a store," James said. "We need volunteers for that."
You can be entered for a nice prize, as well, if you sign up at https://registertoring.com/.
"It's the second year that we're doing the Chiefs challenge," James said. "Every two hours that you volunteer to ring bells, your name gets put into the drawing and then you can win two tickets to the Dec. 31 Cincinnati Bengals game."
According to Register to Ring, the Red Kettle started in 1891 in San Francisco. Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee resolved to provide a free Christmas dinner for the destitute and poverty-stricken.
As he pondered the issue, his thoughts drifted back to his sailor days in Liverpool, England. He remembered how at Stage Landing, where the boats came in, there was a large, iron kettle called "Simpson's Pot" into which passers-by tossed a coin or two to help the poor.
The next day Captain McFee placed a similar pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing at the foot of Market Street. Beside the pot, he placed a sign that read, "Keep the Pot Boiling." He soon had the money to see that the needy people were properly fed at Christmas.
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