BANGOR, Maine — The Salvation Army in Bangor will participate in the northern New England-wide Kettle Blitz competition among the regional units to be held Thursday, Dec. 11.
Kettles designated for the competition will be at the three doors of Bangor Walmart, Capt. Tim Clark said Monday. Volunteer bell-ringers from Bangor Lions Club and the Salvation Army’s advisory board have signed up thus far, but he is seeking individuals from other civic groups and businesses in Greater Bangor to volunteer that day.
The money collected Dec. 11 will stay in the community, just as all other Bangor unit kettle donations, even though it’s a three-state competition, Clark emphasized.
Although donations are lagging behind in general in northern New England, according to the divisional headquarters in Portland, Clark said the kettle collections in Bangor were on target as of Thursday, Dec. 4, with the Bangor unit having taken in 26 percent of its $114,000 goal by that date. He said the receipts from the weekend were being processed Monday morning, so he didn’t have those figures. But he said the storm Saturday and the storms expected this week could negatively affect that progress.
The divisional headquarters in Portland handles administrative tasks for the Salvation Army units in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. The combined kettle goal of all of the units for 2014 is $2,058,805 in the division, though the money stays in the communities where it is collected. There are more than 300 kettles in the northern New England division, according to a press release.
The Kettle Blitz day is intended to bring attention to The Salvation Army’s work of helping individuals and families meet basic needs to survive by providing food and clothing, with the added bonus of toys for children at Christmas. The northern New England division aids more than 123,500 individuals throughout the year, the press release stated.
Other Maine Salvation Army locations participating in the Kettle Blitz include Augusta, Bath, Houlton, Lewiston, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Rockland and Sanford.
