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Over $5 million was raised for The Salvation Army Disaster Relief fund at the recent Country Freedom concert. The all-star benefit concert was the highest-rated program in Country Music Television history, with six million viewers watching the live concert and its encore presentation. It was also broadcast on over 700 radio stations worldwide. Performers included George Strait, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Hank Williams, Jr., Clint Black, Trisha Yearwood, Vince Gill, Lee Ann Womack and others.
FRITZ COLEMAN GOLF CLASSIC
This year’s 7th Annual Fritz Coleman Fair Weather Golf Classic held at the Lakeside Golf Club in Toluca Lake, Calif., boasted a record attendance. One hundred and twenty golfers enjoyed a day of golf and more than 320 friends of The Salvation Army attended the post-golf silent auction, dinner and stand-up comedy show presented by Fritz and his comedian friends David Gee, Wayne Federman and Kevin Meaney.
More than $90,000 was raised. Funds will be used to support Salvation Army programs such as Camp Mt. Crags and Camp Gilmore in the Malibu Mountains, the Torrance Adult Day Care Center, and The Way In Center that serves homeless teens in Hollywood.
SAROA ON THE MOVE
Major Charles Olsen reports that the Salvation Army Retired Officer Asso-ciation (SAROA) now has 642 members from the U.S. and Canada. Last year, the group sent over $12,000 to 717 overseas national retired officers for Christmas. Divisional Commander Lt. Colonel Donald Faulkner recently installed the following new officers: Lt. Colonel John Mikles, color guard; Lt. Colonel Albert Avery, vice president; Brigadier Mildred Schofield, secretary; Colonel Jean Kelly, president; Major Richard Howell, treasurer; and Commissioner Frances Scott, color guard.
KEEP CHRISTMAS IN PRAYER
Captain Rob Reardon, Denver Citadel Corps, Colo., reports they lost their site at a mall for the Army’s main giving tree, “because the mall is going to run a toy campaign for NYC victims’ families instead this year. We just found out last night. We are now wondering where the toys are going to come from!!!
Keep the Army’s Christmas effort across the nation in prayer as the holidays come near…
A NEW KINKADE PRINT
Thomas Kinkade, The Salvation Army’s Honorary National Christmas Kettle Chair, has a new holiday partnership with The Salvation Army. Kinkade has selected one of his most popular Christmas images, “The Season of Giving,” and enhanced it with a Salvation Army bell-ringer. The image is available in paper prints and in canvas transfers. Participating Kinkade dealers nationwide will hold a special one-day event, November 17, to sell the image at a special price with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Army. All prints will be sold by local Kinkade dealers, with checks made payable to that dealer. the Army will receive a royalty on every print sold. For more information, check out: www.mediaarts.com (the Media Arts Group, Inc. website) or Thomas Kin-kade’s website at:
www.thomaskinkade.com. Call 1-800-366-3733 to locate a Thomas Kinkade retailer.
WORTH ADMIRES SA
In the November 2001 issue of Worth magazine, The Salvation Army is called “the most admired, successful philanthropy in the land.” The magazine highlights the Army’s disaster relief work in New York City in response to the attack at the World Trade Center. Check it out at www.worth.com
