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Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign raises nearly $40,000

We started 2024 almost two weeks late due to unforeseen circumstances. Paul Bridgland, Dave Olafson, John Drown and Kathy Blomme volunteered and we had a very successful year bringing in almost $37,000.

In addition, in the kettle in Cottonwood Co-op we were blessed to receive a $1 gold coin, the current market value of which is to be added to our other total. As of yet we do not know the value, but it should put us very close to $40,000. Of that total 88% stays right here in Lyon County to help our people in need. Amen! The history behind that gold coin is that each year a person travels anonymously throughout the region and randomly selects a kettle to place it in. This is the first time Lyon County was blessed as the recipient.

KMHL and the Marshall Independent thank you. We are so very blessed to have you as part of our team.

Thank you to Ace Hardware, El Rancho, Runnings and HyVee for allowing us to ring our bell in your business. A special thank you to WalMart who for the first time, allowed our kettle in their store for 3 days. Thank You! Thank you to the locations that allow us to place a kettle in their business. In Cottonwood the Cottonwood Co-op Convenience Store and in Minneota and Ghent Ag Plus and Brad’s Market in Minneota. Thank you to the Marshall Fire Department who took one location for the entire day for the 5th year in a row and the Marshall Honor Society who once again rang the bell for either the fifth or sixth year in a row. We were blessed with the Pee Wee and Hockey Mites hockey teams, the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, and a huge thank you to the SMSU Wrestlers for ringing the bell.

We thank Santa for ringing the bell for us and a special thanks to Mrs Claus who came for part of the day. Thank you to our realtors Marshall Area Homes, Wilson O’Brien Keller Williams, Minnesota Land and Homes, Edina Realty and Full Circle Realty for their faithful participation.

If I have missed any groups who rang the bell, I apologize. You are appreciated. For those of you who are not associated with a group, and there were many, thank you.

In addition to the Salvation Army helping those in need, the other message I want to reinforce is that we are not the Marshall Salvation Army. We are the Lyon County Salvation Army. We ring in Marshall because we don’t want our ringers to be out in the cold and we have businesses here that allow us to ring inside. We have some very dedicated “bell ringers” from Tracy, I believe two from Minneota, one from Taunton, about four from Cottonwood and several from Ghent. If I missed anyone from other locations, I apologize.

The bulk of the ringers are from Marshall. Every year, we are in desperate need of bell ringers. If you could possible help out next year, even for an hour, it would make such a huge difference.

Once again, it is still with sadness that I, Dennis Ozmun, will be resigning. It is hard to leave such a worthwhile organization that does so much good. This year I became involved again due to unforeseen circumstances and I am so very proud of the way that Paul, Dave, John, Kathy and all of you great people of Lyon County stepped forward and made this another successful year for the Lyon County Salvation Army. Thank you and all God’s Blessings to you and yours!

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