Territorial Commander Commissioner Kenneth G. Hodder challenged Salvation Army officers across the Western Territory to a kettle challenge Dec. 13 from 12-4 p.m. In total, some 95 officers joined in to see who could raise the most money in their kettle—collectively raising $79,776.65.
The grand-prize winner is Captain Angela Morrow, Corps Officer of the Centennial Corps in Littleton, Colorado, who raised $7,344.93.
The top 5 fundraisers are:
- Captain Angela Morrow: $7,344.93 (Intermountain)
- Major Ken Perine: $5,651.89 (Northwest)
- Lt. Fredy Miranda: $5,017.82 (CalSouth)
- Captain Cassandra Amezquita: $4,678.67 (CalSouth)
- Captain Caleb Fankhauser: $3,641.90 (Intermountain)
Hodder raised a total of $1,272.36.
Divisional winners:
- California South: $25,242.06
- Intermountain: $22,822,81
- Northwest: $13,937.24
Other notables from the challenge:
- Evalena Russell of the Cortez, Colorado, Service Extension Unit raised $1,470.68, plus a $1 winning lottery ticket and a 1936 Indian Head nickel from a community where there are only 26,000 people in the county.
- Major Steve Ball stood at the kettle during the first Red Kettle Campaign in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, a country with 35 percent unemployment and an average annual income of working adults around $1,100.
- Major Pam Markham got her dentist and hygienist out to put money in the kettle.
- Majors Evadne and Turnie Wright in Ridgecrest, California, raised approximately .33 per person in their community in one kettle.
- Major Ivan Wild raised money from employees at the Del Oro Division’s Christmas theme party while dressed as Captain Stubing from the Love Boat.
- The top fundraising divisional leaders are Lt. Colonels Bill and Lisa Dickinson, who raised $1,284.33 and $794, respectively.
- Golden State and California South are tied for having the most divisional officers ringing at 17 officers each.