'Double up' donation event to support Salvation Army on Saturday

Mark Scheer, Niagara Gazette, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
·2 min read

Dec. 15—Saturday is an important day for the Salvation Army in Niagara County.

Thanks to an incentive program designed to spur support for the charitable organization, all donations made Saturday at Red Kettle stands throughout the county will be matched in their entirety in support of the Salvation Army in North Tonawanda, Lockport and Niagara Falls.

Residents can support the "double-up" effort by making donations at Red Kettles at local Walmarts, Tops Friendly Markets and other locations.

"All of the cash that comes into the kettles on that day, someone is matching," said Major Andrew Murray with the Niagara Falls Salvation Army. "That's a huge thing for us."

This is the second year for the double the Red Kettle donation program which is being supported by the Salvation Army territorial headquarters that oversees operations in North Tonawanda, Lockport, Niagara Falls and other parts of Western New York.

As was the case last year, Murray asks people who choose to make monetary gifts to the Salvation Army during the Christmas season to consider doing so on Saturday to maximize the impact of the matching window. Contributors can either physically put the donation into a Red Kettle at the Walmart store themselves or can give the donation to representatives from the Falls Salvation Army ahead of time for placement in the kettle during the correct timeframe.

Murray said, as of late last week, the 2023 Red Kettle fundraising campaign was running behind its goal and was down from last year while he also noted that 2022 was a record year for donations to the Salvation Army during the holiday season.

He stressed that every penny helps and all donations will be especially helpful this Saturday.

"If somebody has $5 they want to give, it suddenly becomes $10," Murray said. "If someone wants so to give $100, it becomes $200. It maximizes their gift. From the matchers point of view they are trying to incentivize us to really push to get maximum giving on that day."

For more information about donating directly to the Niagara Falls Salvation Army, contact the Falls office at 716-283-7697.

The Salvation Army also accepts donations online at www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/ways-to-give/.