A Kettle Campaign Success in Hamilton and Burlington

The Salvation Army Hamilton/Burlington kettle campaign in 2013 was a success not only fiscally, but also creating awareness in both cities.  This year’s goal for Hamilton and Burlington was set for $600,000. The funds raised directly benefit the Community and Family Services in both cities.  Every year, when the campaign gets underway, there is always that feeling of anticipation and pressure to see if the goal will be reached.

Part of our goal is to educate our communities about the kettle campaign and the endeavors of The Salvation Army.  An example of educating those about the kettle campaign is Grace Pynn from Mountain Citadel Corps, pictured above with Dan Millar (Area Director of Public Relations and Development – Great Lakes Division). Grace did a presentation on the history of kettles for her junior soldier class.  She was able to educate her junior soldier class not only how the kettle campaign began back in 1891, but also the sole purpose of this worldwide fundraising endeavor; to help give hope to those in need.  The Salvation Army continues to work at making life a little easier and to bring hope for those less fortunate on a daily basis, especially during the Christmas season.

From November 14 -December 24, 2013, The Salvation Army in Hamilton/Burlington kicked into high gear with the annual kettle campaign.  The Salvation Army staff and volunteers from both community and family service locations worked around the clock to help reach the campaign’s goal.  The money raised in both centres went to food hampers, toys for boys and girls, and other types of Christmas assistance.  The Salvation Army in Hamilton and Burlington was able to help over 3,000 households, over 5,800 children, and distributed 112,000 toys between both cities.

The Hamilton/Burlington kettle campaign raised $644,309.00, an increase of $6,981.00 from the 2012 total of $637,328.00.  This was a record year for the Hamilton/Burlington kettle campaign solely because of the support from both communities.  Not only did we see record profits in Hamilton/Burlington, but also across the territory.  The Salvation Army was able to fundraise $21 million in donations, an increase of 2% from 2012.  Thank you to all of the volunteers and staff that made this kettle campaign a success, and thank you to all the children like Grace Pynn, who showed you can make a difference and raise awareness at any age.