Famed Salvation Army Red Kettle donation bucket/via Kamloops Salvation Army
It wasn’t quite the mark they had been shooting for.
However, the Kamloops branch of the Salvation Army has done the math, and has announced a grand total of $236,764.34 earned through its annual Kettle Campaign.
The charity set its goal this year at $240,000, coming up just over $3,235 short of that after wrapping up the 42 day event
The Sally Ann says it was able to get close to its target through over $20,000 being raised over the final two days of the event, which ran from November 13th to Christmas Eve on December 24th.
The nearly $237,000 collected this year is up nearly $6,200 from last year’s total.
A total of 187 volunteers took part in the bell-ringing campaign this year, which saw the red kettles eventually set up at 14 different locations around the city during the course of the event, including the major shopping centers and in front of the BC Liquor Store locations on the north shore and downtown.
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- Kamloops Councillor Bill Sarai volunteering for Salvation Army’s kettle campaign at Costco/via Kamloops Salvation Army
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- Volunteers from Kamloops West Rotary Group at kettle campaign location in Superstore/via Kamloops Salvation Army
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- Kamloops area MP Frank Caputo volunteering for Salvation Army kettle campaign at Costco/via Kamloops Salvation Army
This year — like many years in the past for the Salvation Army kettle campaigns — did not pass without adversity.
Two years ago it was the BC Liquor Distribution Branch which turned down the volume on the bells for a time, after it decided to initially ban the Salvation Army from collecting outside BC Liquor Stores through the start of the 2022 campaign.
That decision was reversed around half-way through, allowing the lucrative locations to start collecting again.
Last year, inflation was soaring — in particular food prices — leaving many shoppers without that extra bit of support to pass along.
This year — the Canada Post strike saw donation numbers across the country drop.
While it did not affect the kettle campaign directly, the Salvation Army says initial donation numbers for its seasonal donation campaigns was down around 50%, as many of the organizations donations from November 1st to the end of the year come people mailing money into the charity.
The money collected as part of the Kamloops kettle campaign goes toward various local programs the charity provides, including its much-needed disaster assistance efforts, as well as food distribution, kids camps, seniors programs and after-school programs.
“We look forward to 2025 and doing it all again with you… BIGGER AND BETTER!” closed off the Salvation Army’s newsletter update providing the final tally.
