Kettle Competition kicks off the Christmas season

The Salvation Army launched its annual Christmas Kettle Campaign today with the Kettle Kickoff Competition at Scotia Square Mall in downtown Halifax. Special thanks to Tim Horton’s in Scotia Square Mall and Dutch Village Road who provided coffee during the competition.

For the event, five kettles were manned by representatives from the Halifax Mooseheads, Halifax Regional Police, Halifax Fire & Emergency, C100 and CTV who competed against each other to see who could raise the most funds during the lunch hour. The event raised over $2500, with the Mooseheads coming in first place, and The Halifax Regional Police coming in second place.

The event served as a launch for The Salvation Army’s annual Christmas fundraising campaign. Over the next five weeks, approximately 200 kettles will be distributed throughout the Maritimes collecting funds for individuals in need and programs run by The Salvation Army.

Last year, the Christmas Kettle Campaign collected a record $1.83 million in the Maritimes. The funds from the campaign help The Salvation Army continue to provide the basic necessities of life – food, clothing and shelter – to anyone in need throughout the year. The funds also support families at Christmastime through the annual Christmas hamper program, which distributed hampers to over 2,000 families last year alone. These hampers contain everything needed for a Christmas dinner as well as toys for children, ensuring these families a Christmas experience they otherwise could not afford.