Celebs ring on Monument Circle

 If you’re in downtown Indy this afternoon, you’ll notice it sounds a lot more like Christmas. Today is Celebrity Bell Ringing Day in front of Emmis studios on Monument Circle. Some of our more recognizable friends are giving an hour or more of their time today to ring bells and collect some of the first donations of the season.

So far today, we’ve had the priviledge of ringing with some of the lovely Colts cheerleaders, WISH TV-8 personalities, our WIBC Radiothon Chair (and Pacers’ own) Quinn Buckner, Darth Vadar, Boomer, Trucky and Big-E-Foot. We’ve also had some fun previewing tomorrow’s Turkey Bowling event with GFS Marketplace.

Speaking of turkey bowling, if you’re out and about on the west side tomorrow, stop by the GFS Marketplace on Rockville Road for their Thanksgiving sampling day and Turkey Bowling. We’ll be there and we hope you’ll join us in packing the pantries at our community centers.

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!

Bells will be ringing…

Since there are really only two seasons for the Salvation Army, Christmas and NOT Christmas, it seems time to give you a preview of what’s to come for our 2009 Tree of Lights campaign. This is going to be a tough season.

We’re already experiencing a nearly 20% increase in requests for assistance for housing and food and the holiday season hasn’t begun.

 

We spoke with WTHR 13’s Angela Cain on Red Shield Radio this week. We have the priviledge of working with both Angela and with Bob Gregory on the Coats for Kids donation drive each Fall. And we agreed, with more parents struggling to keep and find jobs, the lines will be long at coat distribution day. If you’d like to make sure at least one child has a warm coat this winter, go here to learn more about Coats for Kids. We’re accepting donations now through October 5.

Right after Coats for Kids, we’ll kick off our Christmas season at our Tree of Lights Kick-off right here on the lawn of our headquarters on November 19. Our goal is $3 million this year and we’ll need everyone to dig deep and find it in their hearts and wallets to help those who are struggling to provide shelter and necessities for their families. The next day, we’ll begin the bellringing season at Celebrity Bell Ringing on Monument Circle. This is a perfect time to meet a favorite local celebrity and spare a few coins.

Then Radiothon is just around the corner on December 11-13. Join our 2008/2009 Radiothon Chair, Quinn Buckner of the Indiana Pacers as we support our programs for men, women and children right here in our city! We have opportunities for  hourly sponsors and volunteers to work in the phone bank. It’s a 55-hour Marathon of Giving, and our biggest fundraising event of the year.

And immediately following Radiothon is our Toy Shop at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. This is the week that all the toys from our seasonal toy drive will be distributed to families in need. To learn more about participating as a collection site, a set-up volunteer or as an event day volunteer, go here.

We can’t meet this kind of need without our volunteers. If you’re interested in ringing a bell, hosting a coat or toy collection drive, or participating in Radiothon, there are lots of ways to give of your dollars and your time. Please give Elizabeth a call at 224-1010.

We did it, Indiana!

You’re among the first to know – we’ve exceeded our goal for the Tree of Lights campaign! (and we couldn’t have done it without you!)

In the face of a recession, lay-offs and home foreclosures, Hoosiers dug deep to help those less fortunate than themselves. You sponsored hours and called in your pledges during our WIBC Radiothon and helped raise over $223,000 in three days! You sent your support in response to direct mail and donated online. And no Tree of Lights campaign would be complete without our famous red kettles. Of the more than $2.77 million that’s been raised during this year’s campaign, over $789,000 was collected at the 140 Red Kettle locations throughout central Indiana.  So, thanks to all of you who allowed our bellringers to ring outside your stores and offices. Your participation is so vital to the success of the campaign!

So whether you gave $1 or $1,000, you were part of our own Christmas miracle. Through your support, we will continue to offer shelter and support to the homeless and abuse, a safe place for children through our after-school programs, compassion to our community’s seniors and hope and rehabilitation to the addicted. On behalf of the men, women and children we serve every day of the year, THANK YOU!

Almost there…

Look at that total – just a little over $46,000 to go until we reach our goal! Your giving is making it possible for The Salvation Army to continue providing coats to little girls like this one (above), shelter to moms and kids fleeing domestic violence, assistance to families struggling to make ends meet – doing the most good for those who mean it most.

But we’re not there yet. With over 83 cents of each dollar you give going straight to those who need it, that $46,000 will go a long way in meeting the needs of our neighbors. So if you want to give a boost to a mom looking for a fresh start for her kids, a warm meal to a disaster victim, you can donate here or send your support to our offices at 3100 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46208.

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