BROKEN BOW – The Custer County unit of the Salvation Army is once again bringing a time-honored holiday tradition to the county; it would feel a little less like Christmas without the sound of ringing bells and the jingling of change in those red buckets.
Bell ringing is back for another season, kicking off November 25 and running all the way through Christmas Eve. Ninety percent of the funds raised in Custer County’s kettles stay within the county to help those in need through what can be a particularly difficult time of year.
The money raised through bell ringing goes to fund all manner of programs for those in need throughout Custer County, including the Back-to-School Book Bag Program, Santa Cop, swim lessons, and year-round financial assistance for those who need help with medical expenses, to name a few.
As with many of the Salvation Army’s efforts, bell ringing is entirely volunteer-led; there are no hoops to jump through to participate, though there is one requirement for all volunteers: a willingness to help their community, and maybe endure a little chill for a couple hours or so.
In addition to regular volunteer bell ringing, the Custer County Salvation Army is holding a competition for local businesses. All community businesses, clubs, organizations, and non-profits are welcome and encouraged to compete.
The rules are simple: participating organizations are divided into two categories: those with between 1 and 7 employees, and those with 8 or more. The objective for employees is to stack the greatest number of ringing hours between November 25 and December 24, with each hour between 6 and 8 p.m. on Saturdays counting as an hour and a half. Winners from each category will receive a pizza party for their organization provided by the Custer County Salvation Army.
Organizations can register in any number of ways: by contacting one of four Salvation Army representatives, or by following this link. A flier is attached with a QR code to expedite the registration process.
To register by phone, those interested should call:
Mo Hunsberger: (308) 870-1406
Carol Allen: (308) 870-4397
Cheryl Smith: (308) 872-0044
Julie Toline: (402) 677-9323
