Fort Worth

Salvation Army Kicks-Off Red Kettle Campaign

The DFW Salvation Army kicked off its annual Red Kettle campaign on Monday morning.

In true Fort Worth fashion, the kick-off included a cattle drive around Ridgmar Mall, featuring cowboys, volunteers and even Santa.

The sound of bell ringing is as synonymous with the holidays as any Christmas carol.

Henry Cunningham has been a bell ringer for the last five years now.

He was busy outside the Alliance Town Center JC Penney store in far north Fort Worth playing doorman, encouraging donations and giving holiday greetings.

"People say 'y'all out awful early,'" Cunningham said. "But the early bird gets the worm. We got over $100,000 last year in this chapter."

The goal this year is to raise $400,000 in Fort Worth and more than $2 million across the Metroplex.

"All those quarters, dimes, nickels and dollars, they add up and make a difference," said Major Jonathan Rich.

Rich is the commander of the DFW area Salvation Army. He says that money will last all year to run 70 DFW area programs.

"Those funds help us serve the homeless and those that are battling addiction and just so many different ways," said Rich.

One of those ways helped Cunningham when he was briefly in need of some help well before his bell ringing days and his 30 years at GM.

"I was in between jobs and things, and they give out food, you can eat there and stuff," Cunningham said.

Now in retirement, he said he never forgot what the Salvation Army did for him and now he's paying it forward.

"You know you're helping people," he said.

The Salvation Army's National Kick-Off happens Thursday during half-time of the Cowboys game.

The red kettles will be out until Christmas Eve.
 

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