STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) — Bells will be ringing outside stores beginning this weekend as Salvation Army chapters across the region kick off the 2018 Red Kettle Campaign.
Brant Bergeron with the Portage County chapter says his people are getting creative to help find bell ringers to fill shifts for the coming season through the first ever “I shifted the Sheriff” event.
Bergeron says former Portage County Sheriff John Charewicz volunteered to help the campaign in any way possible, so his staff came up with the idea of putting him on a lift above the Trigs parking lot on Saturday morning until 100 bell-ringing shifts are filled as part of the event.
“He will be up in a high-lift bucket above the parking lot, and he’ll stay in that bucket until we get 100 shifts filled,” said Bergeron. “I hope he isn’t afraid of heights, he’ll be 30 or 40 feet up in a lift.”
The Salvation Army staff will have computers set up outside the Trigs store beginning at 9 to allow people to sign up for as many shifts as they would like. Once they hit the 100 shift mark, Sheriff Charewicz will be allowed down to continue with his day said Bergeron.
Between now and the end of the season, Bergeron says they have over 1700 shifts available so chances are you can find one or two that will work no matter what your schedule is.
Bergeron says it’s been proven time and time again that kettles that have bell ringers bring in significantly more revenue than those that are unattended, so every shift matters when it comes to reaching their goal of $200,000 this year.
For those who can’t make it to Saturday’s event to help bring down the Sheriff, shift sign-up is available at www.registertoring.com
