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Eastern Jackson County, MO —
A friendly competition among seven mayors of Jackson County is taking place today – and it’s all for a good cause.
For the first time, mayors from Independence, Blue Springs, Sugar Creek, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, Lee’s Summit and Grandview – including their fellow council members, staff and friends – will participate in a competition to see who can raise the most money through the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign.
“It’s the very first one, and the mayors all agreed to it,” said Maj. Butch Frost, the Corps Officer for the Independence Corps Community Center.
Most of the bell-ringing will take place at area Walmart locations, as well as other selected sites. Any funds raised will go toward the overall goal of $280,000 for the Eastern Jackson County’s holiday Red Kettle campaign.
Frost also encouraged area residents to choose an angel off of the angel trees that are at Independence Center mall and the Walmart sites in Independence, Blue Springs and at U.S. 40. Those angels specify a child’s wish for Christmas.
The Salvation Army is aiming to help more than 2,000 children this year, which is an increase of about 300 children compared to 2011, Frost said.
“It’s slowly picking up,” he said of the toy donations. “It always starts out slow. That’s the same way with fundraising – it starts out slow and starts to pick up.”
All next week, volunteers will sort and organize thousands of donated tours at the community center on East Truman Road. The Salvation Army also needs gift card donations for teenagers, suggesting $20 gift cards to popular teen stores like Walmart, Aeropostale, Rue 21 and Old Navy.
And, as always, the community center’s food pantry could use more donations, especially meat-related items that aren’t usually donated, Frost said.
“The shelves are low, even as we speak,” he said. “The holidays always make it harder on us, compared to the rest of the year. The shelves are hurting.
“But, you know, people are always very giving, and we appreciate everything.”
A friendly competition among seven mayors of Jackson County is taking place today – and it’s all for a good cause.
For the first time, mayors from Independence, Blue Springs, Sugar Creek, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, Lee’s Summit and Grandview – including their fellow council members, staff and friends – will participate in a competition to see who can raise the most money through the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign.
“It’s the very first one, and the mayors all agreed to it,” said Maj. Butch Frost, the Corps Officer for the Independence Corps Community Center.
Most of the bell-ringing will take place at area Walmart locations, as well as other selected sites. Any funds raised will go toward the overall goal of $280,000 for the Eastern Jackson County’s holiday Red Kettle campaign.
Frost also encouraged area residents to choose an angel off of the angel trees that are at Independence Center mall and the Walmart sites in Independence, Blue Springs and at U.S. 40. Those angels specify a child’s wish for Christmas.
The Salvation Army is aiming to help more than 2,000 children this year, which is an increase of about 300 children compared to 2011, Frost said.
“It’s slowly picking up,” he said of the toy donations. “It always starts out slow. That’s the same way with fundraising – it starts out slow and starts to pick up.”
All next week, volunteers will sort and organize thousands of donated tours at the community center on East Truman Road. The Salvation Army also needs gift card donations for teenagers, suggesting $20 gift cards to popular teen stores like Walmart, Aeropostale, Rue 21 and Old Navy.
And, as always, the community center’s food pantry could use more donations, especially meat-related items that aren’t usually donated, Frost said.
“The shelves are low, even as we speak,” he said. “The holidays always make it harder on us, compared to the rest of the year. The shelves are hurting.
“But, you know, people are always very giving, and we appreciate everything.”
