Salvation Army Kicking off Holiday Campaign with 36 Consecutive Hours of Music

On Friday, November 11th, Central Virginia will once again welcome the familiar sounds of bells and Christmas music as The Salvation Army begins its annual Red Kettle Campaign.This year’s campaign will officially kick off at 9 a.m. when Matt Sims, Music Director for The Salvation Army Central Virginia, plays his first note at a Red Kettle at Short Pump Town Center. Sims will continue playing notes until 9 p.m. on Saturday, November 12th, having played for a grand total of 36-hours, a feat never before attempted by any Salvation Army musician.

November 3, 2011; 11:22 AM • by Trevor Dickerson

On Friday, November 11th, Central Virginia will once again welcome the familiar sounds of bells and Christmas music as The Salvation Army begins its annual Red Kettle Campaign.This year’s campaign will officially kick off at 9 a.m. when Matt Sims, Music Director for The Salvation Army Central Virginia, plays his first note at a Red Kettle at Short Pump Town Center. Sims will continue playing notes until 9 p.m. on Saturday, November 12th, having played for a grand total of 36-hours, a feat never before attempted by any Salvation Army musician.

Sims and his kettle will be located near the fire pit in front of Dick’s Sporting Goods.

The idea to play for 36 consecutive hours came to Sims in late summer as he was thinking of ways to increase awareness for the Red Kettle Campaign at a time when donations to The Salvation Army are more important than ever.

“Every day, we see the ever increasing needs for Salvation Army services right here in our community, so I really wanted a way to use my God given talent to help those in need,” said Sims.

“It’s my hope that I can bring a little Christmas cheer while raising much needed funds for The Salvation Army.”
“This effort by Matt will be one for the ages,” said Jeff Baldwin, Public Relations Director for The Salvation Army Central Virginia. “We are excited to see how many folks come out to hear Matt play and donate to the Red Kettle while he is out at Short Pump Town Center.”

While the music plays at Short Pump Town Center, bell ringers will fan out across the region, and long after it ends, the Red Kettle Campaign will continue.

This year’s campaign will run every day through Christmas Eve, with the exception of Sundays and Thanksgiving Day, and raises funds to provide assistance to thousands of children and families and supports Salvation Army programs and services throughout the year.

“As demands for Salvation Army services continue to rise, the success of the Red Kettles is crucial,” said Baldwin.

The Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign began in 1891 by Captain Joseph McFee of San Francisco as a way to raise funds to provide Christmas dinner to the area’s poor. He remembered collection pots from his days as a sailor and quickly secured permission to place pots throughout the city, thus launching a tradition that spread not only throughout the United States, but around the world, and has since grown to become The Salvation Army’s largest yearly fundraiser.

November 3, 2011 11:22 AM 0