Tree of Lights Ceremony Kicks off Season

WISH TV-8 anchorman, Eric Halvorson kicked off his fifth season as Chair at our Tree of Lights ceremony this morning. Community leaders and volunteers gathered to show support in raising this year’s campaign goal of $3 million – the largest goal ever set by The Salvation Army in Central Indiana. That’s an ambitious goal in a tough economic climate, but with requests for assistance soaring, we will need every last dollar to continue to provide food, shelter, utility and holiday assistance to our neighbors in need.

Walmart has generously agreed to once again serve as our Tree of Lights tree sponsor. Also joining us at this morning’s kick-off event was our 15th annual WIBC Radiothon team of Radiothon Chair and Pacers’ VP of Communications, Quinn Buckner and Terri Stacy and Joe Staysniak of the WIBC Morning Show. And special music was provided by the St. Richard’s singers and The Salvation Army Brass Ensemble. Our Divisional Commanders Majors Richard and Vicki Amick encouraged each of us to help our communities in need – if just one in ten people in Marion County could donate just $30 each, we’d collect that $3 million by Christmas! Now that’s not so unattainable.

We’d like to thank our corporate partners for their attendance and support this holiday season – Jerome Rauch – Walmart, John Elliott – Kroger and Jay Ricker – Ricker’s Oil and am/pm convenience stores and Two Men and A Truck. Thanks to Dunkin’ Donuts and GFS Marketplace for providing coffee and hot cocoa to all. Of course, we couldn’t have a tree lighting ceremony without our partners at Barth Electric. Thanks to the folks at WISH TV-8 for loaning Eric to us and for hosting and promoting the WISHTree toy collections throughout the season and at the December 13 Colts game at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Of course, this is just the beginning of the season for us. If you’d like to involve your business or organization, we’d love to have you join us! WIBC Radiothon hourly sponsorships and in-kind sponsorships are still available at WIBCRadiothon.org. Or, you can become a toy collection site and host a collection box – last year we were able to play Santa to over 900 families because of donations collected in offices and store fronts across Central Indiana! Ring a bell, host an on-line red kettle or just drop a few bucks in the kettle as you go by. With a $3 million goal, we can use all the help we can get!

Crystal Flash sinks a hole in one for homeless women & children

Thanks to platinum sponsor, Crystal Flash, this week’s Golf 4 Giving event pulled in a field of golfers and sponsors who came out in support of The Salvation Army’s shelter for women and children. This was the 11th year for the event, this year held at the Golf Club of Indiana.

WISH-TV8‘s Eric Halvorson agreed to host for the second time. “With the current economic difficulty and request for assistance up, I was more than happy to be here and help The Salvation Army help those in need in our community,” said Eric Halvorson.  “The Salvation Army is impacting lives right here in Indianapolis, just as they’ve done for many, many years.”

Last year’s event raised more than $28,000. Read more

Celebrities on the Circle

If you’ve got a few moments today (and some spare change), stop by Monument Circle. We’ll be in front of Emmis Communications for Celebrity Bell Ringing Day from 6 am until 6 pm.  And we’ve got a great line-up of celebrities to welcome your donations.

Some of our very own Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders kicked off the event this morning at 6am. We also expect our 2008 Radiothon Chair (and Indiana Basketball legend) Quinn Buckner to ring and meet and greet at 10am. Our friends from Dunkin’ Donuts are sponsoring lunch for our celebrities and volunteers and will have their Cup and Donut mascots passing out some gift cards. After lunch, the Pacers mascots – Boomer and Bowser, and the Pacemates will join us. The mascot fun continues with Blue – Indianapolis Colts Mascot, Truckie from Two Men and a Truck and IUPUI Mascot Jawz. The Salvation Army Brass Ensemble & Donut Girls will take the afternoon shift. On-air personalities from WISH-TV8 will also join us throughout the day.

Yesterday, Eric Halvorson challenged 100,000 Hoosiers to each give $5.50 a week til Christmas to help us meet our Tree of Lights goal this year. Today’s a perfect day to come over and start by giving to those who have none.

But, no worries – if you can’t make it to Celebrity bellringing, you’ll have the opportunity to give at over 140 locations throughout the city through December 24th. And, of course, if you’re interested in volunteering this season by ringing a bell at a red kettle location, or by hosting your own on-line red kettle, go to indykettle.org or give Elizabeth a call at 224-1010.

$27.50 makes a difference

I love my job. That might seem like a strange proclamation given the state of the economy and the stress of raising funds to meet the growing needs. But, it’s our partners’ passion for the mission truly makes it a pleasure to do what I do.

I read Eric Halvorson’s blog today. He’s just a guy doing his job and trying to do his part to make his community a better place. He chooses to support The Salvation Army’s efforts during the Christmas season as our honorary Tree of Lights Chair. And in his blog, he reminds readers that even though it’s a tough time to dig deep to help out our neighbors in need, that’s what we Hoosiers do. 

And here’s his tip: “Consider this: if 100,000 people give just $27.50, the Salvation Army will meet its goal.  Remember, the Census Bureau says more than 865,000 people live in Marion County.  So, it’s possible.”

I love unbridled optimism! And here’s another way to think about it – if just 100,000 of us put $5.50 in a red kettle each week until Christmas, we’d exceed that $2.75 million goal! Basically, if we gave up one fast food lunch a week, we’d not only drop a few pounds in time for the holidays, but we’d be a part of providing shelter to a woman fleeing domestic violence, after-school programs for at-risk kids and a warm meal to a family after a natural disaster. We’d be the change we all want to see.

How are you going to make a difference this Christmas? How about a Radiothon sponsorship?