The Salvation Army of Mesquite will start its annual Red Kettle fundraising campaign on Monday, Nov. 21 at 10 a.m. Ace Hardware located at 102 W. Mesquite Blvd is the locale chosen for this years’ kick off. Special guests will be Santa and Mrs. Claus.
“Ace is a new site for us”, said Mesquite Salvation Army Director Captain Lisa Smith. “We are happy to have another site in our community, especially on Mesquite Boulevard. We are hopeful that this will be the start of a wonderful partnership.”
Other planned kettle sites are Lee’s Liquors, Smith’s and Wal-Mart. Smith said that The Salvation Army is waiting to hear from Walgreens’ corporate office before they can ring there.
Unlike Salvation Army units in larger cities, the Mesquite unit does not utilize paid bell ringers, but volunteers in the community. Groups such as the American Legion, Mesquite Lutheran Church, the High Rollers Motorcycle Club and the Knights of Columbus have been doing this for several years. However, Captain Smith said she is looking for more volunteers. “This campaign is the main source of revenue for us. The money we raise at the kettles helps us to provide services for people in crisis. If we don’t raise the funds, we have to cut services, which I do not want to do.”
The Christmas campaign will last from Nov. 21 until Dec. 24. If you are interested in volunteering, please call Captain Smith at 702-345-5116.
