@byline:Star-Gazette
@text:BIG
FLATS@text:HORSEHEADS [EB1]-
The familiar sound of Salvation Army bells ringing echoed Thursday through the
Arnot Mall as the Elmira Salvation Army began its 2005 Red Kettle Campaign.
The organization hopes to raise $115,000 this season, said Red Kettle Campaign
Coordinator Cathy Magee. Volunteers will ring bells beside the group's
signature red kettles at 12 locations in Chemung and Schuyler counties. Three
more locations will be added next week.
Magee said the Elmira Salvation Army set a goal of $100,000 last holiday
season, and exceeded it by $8,000. The amount raised for Salvation Army
programs might have been higher if more people had volunteered for the kettle
shifts.
With a lack of volunteers, the Salvation Army hired workers to cover some
shifts and theretheir
[EB2]pay
came out of the donations, McGeeMagee
[EB3]said.
The church faces the same problem this year, she said.
"We're in desperate need of volunteers to ring bells," she said.
"We have set up shifts from 10 (a.m.) to 4 (p.m.) and from 4 to 9 (p.m.),
but we can work with someone if they can only volunteer for part of that
time."
@facthead:To volunteer
@fact:For information on volunteering with the Red Kettle Campaign, call Kathy [EB4]Magee
at 607/732-0314.