Mascots from around Modesto, Calif., took to stores and shopping centers Nov. 30 in the first ever Salvation Army Mascot Kettle Challenge, raising $1,720 during the four-hour event.
Bank of the West Bear came in first with $349 in its kettle. Other participants included Al the Almond and Wally the Walnut from the Modesto Nuts baseball team, Freddy Foreman from FunWorks, National Night Out Knight and McGruff the Crime Dog from the Modesto Police Department, Thunder from the Stockton Thunder hockey team, Cinder Clause from the Modesto Advisory Board, Captain Care Bear from the Modesto Citadel and Scoopy the Bee from The Modesto Bee.
As a partnership between the Army in Modesto and The Modesto Bee, the newspaper helped launch the event and provided coverage of it. Proceeds will help meet the needs of people in the local community.
Majors Kyle and Martha Trimmer are Stanislaus County coordinators and Modesto corps officers.