photo by: Niamh Coomey

Salvation Army Officer Lt. John Lawrence, left, poses for a photo with Wheeling Mayor Denny Magruder in front of Cabela's at The Highlands during the Kettle Kickoff event Saturday.

TRIADELPHIA — The Salvation Army held its annual “Kettle Kickoff” Saturday morning at Cabela’s at The Highlands.

The Wheeling Park High School jazz band played for guests, while several WPHS students rang bells and collected donations in front of the store.

Family and friends gathered to watch the band, eat baked goods and celebrate the official beginning of holiday giving season. It wasn’t the only kickoff event in the Northern Panhandle that afternoon. Another event was held at the Walmart in Moundsville on Saturday afternoon.

Kettle kickoffs happened all over the country this month as the Salvation Army started recruiting volunteers to ring bells and collect donations at local grocery stores, malls and countless other locations.

The Salvation Army is an international charitable Christian organization that provides a range of services from disaster response to human trafficking advocacy to rehabilitation and everything in between.

They are widely known for providing food, clothing and other goods for homeless and impoverished populations.

Lt. John Lawrence, who oversees Salvation Army in Ohio, Marshall, Weitzel and Tyler counties, emphasized the importance of giving this time of year.

During kettle season, the Salvation Army raises around a quarter of what they spend on charitable efforts the entire year, which are used for food pantries, rental assistance and clothing vouchers, among many other things.

“The funds that we save not only help us at Christmas time but throughout the year,” Lawrence said.

The Red Kettle Campaign has been running since 1891, when Salvation Army officer Joseph McFee was inspired by his days as a sailor when they used simple iron “Simpson’s Pots” to collect money. He placed a similar pot on a street corner to collect donations and the idea spread quickly.

The red kettle is now an easily recognizable symbol of the Salvation Army’s charitable fundraising.

This year, the Salvation Army has more than 600 children signed up for its Angel Tree program, which helps provide toys and clothing around Christmas time. Lawrence said it’s crucial that they raise the funds to fulfill these needs.

Raising money for the Christmas season is a yearlong affair, he added. The organization starts raising money for the next Christmas season on Jan. 1.

Wheeling Mayor Denny Magruder was also present at the event, and said the Salvation Army is a pillar of the Wheeling community.

“The campaign that the Salvation Army does is miraculous. You know there’s so many families in need with children and the folks at the Salvation Army do such a wonderful job,” he said. “They’re an integral part of this community, they make it great.”

The Salvation Army is currently seeking more volunteers to man the kettles and collect donations at sites around town, even if just for an hour or two.

“Many people will come out and ring the bells and they’ll bring their kids and make it a family tradition,” Lawrence said.

Lawrence said the organization’s goal is to raise $200,000 this year. To do so, they need as many volunteers as they can get.

“They need help,” Magruder said. “If you can only give a few hours, two hours, four hours, it’s a beginning, it helps. The volunteers are the core and that’s what makes the Ohio Valley special.”

Volunteers can sign up for the kettle program by calling 304-233-4400 or visiting registertoring.com and signing up for a slot.