LIHU‘E — The Salvation Army Red Kettles have become part of the holiday tradition, greeting shoppers with the tinkle-tinkle of bells, asking for aid for those in need. Saturday, The Salvation Army, headed by Major Mario Reyes of the Lihu‘e
LIHU‘E — The Salvation Army Red Kettles have become part of the holiday tradition, greeting shoppers with the tinkle-tinkle of bells, asking for aid for those in need.
Saturday, The Salvation Army, headed by Major Mario Reyes of the Lihu‘e Corps and Lt. Austin Anderson of the Hanapepe Corps, launched its Red Kettle campaign for the holidays at Kukui Grove Center.
“This is the first time we’ve actually had a launch for the Red Kettles,” said Sara Miura of DejaVu Surf Hawai‘i, a Salvation Army board member. “This is a celebration of the work being done by The Salvation Army as well as an awareness of the Army and the Red Kettles. Earlier this morning, The Salvation Army was helping with food at the Rotary Club of Kaua‘i’s Old Koloa Sugar Mill Run.”
Red kettles were set up throughout the food court area of the mall and shoppers could feed the kettles while watching live entertainment.
There were also opportunities for people to volunteer to man red kettles at strategic locations island-wide.
Miura said Tamatea Nui O Kaua‘i featured one of the workers with The Salvation Army and Lt. Anderson did microphone duties for the opening, which took place following the Old Koloa Sugar Mill Run, enabling the people involved with the run to be a part of the launch.
The Red Kettle tradition started in 1891 when Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee was distraught with the large number of poor individuals in San Francisco, leading him to resolve to provide a free Christmas dinner for the destitute and poverty-stricken, states the Salvation Army website.
There was one major problem — how would he fund the project?
While pondering the problem and wondering where the funds would come from, his thoughts brought him back to Liverpool, England and the days when he was a sailor.
At Stage Landing, where boats would arrive, there was a large, iron kettle called “Simpson’s Pot,” which passers-by tossed a coin, or two, to help the poor, McFee remembered.
Motivated with the recollection, he set up a similar pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing at the foot of Market Street with a sign that read “Keep the Pot Boiling.”
He collected enough funds to see a lot of needy people being properly fed at Christmas.
Six years later, the kettle idea spread from the West Coast to the Boston area and the combined nationwide effort resulted in 150,000 Christmas dinners for the needy.
Today, the Salvation Army helps more than 4.5 million people during the Thanksgiving and Christmas time periods, Thanksgiving being the traditional date for the appearance of the familiar red kettles.
Kaua‘i joins the rest of the world, including Korea, Japan, Chile and a number of European countries, where red kettles are used by the Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army, both the Lihu‘e Corps and the Hanapepe Corps, begin its season of sharing with the annual community Thanksgiving luncheon Wednesday, at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall and at the Hanapepe Corps.
Hundreds of lunches will be dispensed to Kaua‘i’s kupuna and community with the help of volunteers.
Those wishing to volunteer to Adopt-a-Kettle or to contribute and help brighten the holidays for those in need can call the Lihu‘e Corps at 245-2571 or the Hanapepe Corps at 335-5441.
