Jewelry donations boost giving in Waltham - Wicked Local Waltham
On Nov. 22, an anonymous benefactor dropped a diamond ring into a Red Kettle outside of Market Basket, 110 Market Place Drive in Waltham. Salvation Army officials appraised the ring at $600-700, that will help The Salvation Army in its mission to provide vital programming and services for thousands of children, families and seniors in the region.
On Nov. 20, a woman donated four rings into a kettle at the Walmart at 100 Valley Parkway in Whitinsville. The donations come days after The Salvation Army completed an online auction for more than 60 jewelry items donated during the past two years of Massachusetts Red Kettle campaigns.
The Salvation Army raised $26,764 from a week-long auction conducted by Everything But the House, an online marketplace that specializes in estate sales and auctions of precious items. All of the proceeds from the auction will be put to use in Massachusetts communities where the items were donated to support local individuals and families in need.
The trend of donating jewelry to Salvation Army Red Kettles in Massachusetts originated in 2014 when an anonymous widow placed her wedding and diamond engagement rings and note in a Red Kettle outside of Boston’s North Station. In her note, she asked that the rings be sold in hopes of to help children in need at Christmas.
The act of generosity went viral and touched off a spree of jewelry donations across Massachusetts. In a matter of weeks, Salvation Army officials received 15 different jewelry donations to Red Kettles, raising more than $30,000. In 2015, the trend continued, culminating in the donation of a Rolex watch and dozens of other precious jewelry items across the state.
The Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign is a critical source of funding for the vital programs and services that serve hundreds of thousands of children, families and seniors across Massachusetts throughout the year. This includes meals, toys and other holiday support for those in need, along with funding for food pantries, soup kitchens, social services and education programs throughout the year.
The Salvation Army has set a statewide Red Kettle Campaign goal of $3.5 million this year.
For information: salvationarmyma.org.
