Fire Departments from across the county, and the Sheriff Department, Michigan State Police and local Police Departments rang Red Kettle bells on Thursday and Friday, December 17-18, 2020 to raise $6512.35 for The Salvation Army in their ‘Rescue Christmas’ effort. Five Red Kettle locations hosted both Police and Fire on Friday to collect donations in a head-to-head challenge.
In a four-hour challenge the Police departments raised $2985.64 and the Fire departments raised $2925.02. It was reported that the Police pulled out all the stops, using K9 units, a GoFundMe page, and even included their children in the bell ringing effort to slightly edge the Fire Departments in this challenge.
The largest single Red Kettle was the Fire Department’s kettle at Walmart retail entrance. Units that participated for the Police included Marquette, Negaunee and Ishpeming Police, the County Sherriff and Michigan State Police. Units participating for Fire included Marquette, Marquette Township, Negaunee, and Forsyth departments. This event was organized by Sheriff Greg Zyburt and Marquette Fire Chief Ian Davis, both members of The Salvation Army Advisory Board.
“The real winner is The Salvation Army”, said Sheriff Zyburt. “What I’ve seen in my forty years as a police officer is how they have come to help all of the people of Marquette County. If they need help, they come to The Salvation Army and get it.” Chief Davis added “This time of year especially, The Salvation Army provides food for residents and other accommodations to help them out. Anything we can do to help them out, we want to do”.
The Marquette City Fire department also rang bells all day at Tadych’s EconoFoods in Marquette on Thursday, Dec 17, raising $601.69. “Marquette City Fire has adopted a day of bell ringing for us each year” said Captain Doug Winters of The Salvation Army. “This brings our two-day total to $6512.35 raised. It is so encouraging to get this support from our first responders”, said Winters. Other major supporters of the Red Kettle effort each year include the Marquette Noon Rotary, Ishpeming Noon Kiwanis, and Cleveland Cliffs and Steel Workers Union.
Additionally, a donor has come forward to match 100% of the donations up to $5000 placed in Red Kettles in Marquette County on Tuesday, December 22. The community is encouraged to make an extra donation on Tuesday to maximize this donation.
The Red Kettle effort extends to 2PM on Christmas Eve. The community can still volunteer to ring bells this week by visiting RegisterToRing.com to pick a day and place to ring in Ishpeming, Negaunee, or 6 locations in Marquette and Marquette Township. Totals for the Red Kettle effort in Marquette and Alger counties will be announced in early January.
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