The Salvation Army Red Kettles are back for holidays
Published on November 20, 2023 at 12:08pm CST
Publisher’s Perspective
By Tim Douglass, Publisher of the Pope County Tribune
Donna Ortendahl, Salvation Army Central MN Field Representative, organized a Red Kettle Kickoff last Friday evening at Tom’s Market in downtown Glenwood.
The event, of course, signaled the beginning of the Red Kettle Campaign done during the holdidays each year–a crucial time of the year for the organization with much of their fundraising coming in the next six weeks, and the money raised helps people right here in Pope County.
The kickoff featured the first bell ringers of the season with local law enforcement officers from Glenwood and Pope County and other local officials, including Glenwood Fire Chief Bruce Cerney and Glenwood City Commissioner Neil Haynes. The Glenwood Fire Department also provided a fire truck, lights on, to attract more attention to the event. (See photos on Page 12A.)
“Most people know The Salvation Army for our Red Kettles, our Angel Trees, and our strong presence during the holiday season, but we support local families all throughout the year,” according to Ortendahl.
“The donations collected during the holiday season not only help provide gifts to children who would otherwise go without, but they also help provide food, shelter, and utility assistance to those who need it most every day of the year,” she added.
To volunteer to be a local bell ringer during the holidays, sign up by calling Becky Schlangen at 320-219-8270 to schedule a time to ring, or visit the website: registertoring.com.
The Salvation Army is just one of the important local organizations that help families in need during the holidays. There are so many great volunteers for many organizations that do so much for our area. A few of them are “Armful of Love,” “Pope County Families in Need,” local law enforcement and EMS efforts to purchase Christmas gifts for children and more. All of them deserve our support, so don’t forget to help those less fortunate during the holiday season and beyond.
And, Happy Thanksgiving to all!
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The West Central Tribune provided an update on the wandering moose in this area.
The wandering moose who has appeared on more screens in west central Minnesota than any other moose since Bullwinkle of television cartoon fame continues his trek to stardom.
In the past week, the Central MN Moose on the Loose Facebook group dedicated to tracking the wandering moose has posted images and sightings of the young bull in the Sauk Centre and Melrose areas. Last Tuesday he was spotted near the Sauk Centre airport, and the more recent sightings indicate he remains in the area.
He’s been dubbed with names ranging from Rut to Bullwinkle. Photographs indicate that he is a young bull, quite likely a yearling.
The most recent Facebook postings indicate concern that he will need to cross Interstate 94 if he remains on his current, northerly trajectory.
The moose was sighted in Kandiyohi and Meeker counties in late October. A video captured him walking along the shores of Green Lake at month’s end.
Jeremy Gehrke, with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources office in New London, said the local office has not received any reports about the moose since it moved northward last week into Stearns County.
