The Weyburn Salvation Army kicked off the Christmas Kettles campaign yesterday with the presentation of the first donation by Norm and Shirley Mondor in the amount of $20,000.

The kettles will be out at four locations in Weyburn for the purpose of collecting donations for the various programs the organization runs throughout the year.

The campaign will have volunteers posted at Prairie Sky Co-Op, Wal-Mart, Wholesale Club, and The Liquor Board each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday until the last week before Christmas, when the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be also be included.

“There’s 15 days that the kettles are out and that means, when you break it down into two-hour time-slots, it’s 300 spaces of time that we have to fill with someone standing and smiling at a kettle,” said Kettle Campaign Co-ordinator, Helen Orsted. “The purpose of the kettles is to raise money for all the social programs that the kettle provides throughout the year."

In fact, it’s the Salvation Army Weyburn’s funding for the entire year. It helps run their food bank, helps them put on their back to school program, and to send kids to summer camp.

“I’m looking for people to give me a call, if they’ve got time that they would like to serve at a kettle,” said Orsted.

Contact Orsted at 306-842-6485 or 306-861-4599 to arrange to take a time slot.

She said the volunteer position is fairly straightforward.

“Mainly just smile and greet people and wish them a Merry Christmas,” she said. “There’s a bag of tools, I call it, at each kettle. There are candy canes to give to the children and there are scripture cards to give to the adults and my phone number if you run into problems.”

She added it doesn’t have to be a lonely job, either.

“If you’re a family that would like to serve at a kettle as a family, maybe sing, play guitar, that’s very welcome and people love to hear that Christmas music,” said Orsted.

Many of the same faces seen each year will return to their posts at the kettles, but Orsted said each year there are always some new faces.

“Every year you lose some and every year you gain some, there’s new people that phone me and it’s a pleasure to hear a new voice,” she said.

Read more on the Salvation Army Christmas Kettles HERE.