New #50: Bell Ringer

Forget the wreaths hung in department stores before Halloween. The real way to know Christmas has arrived is to hear the jingle jingle of volunteers collecting money for the Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign. I've always donated money to the cause -- and this year decided to go one step further by offering my time as a bell ringer.

My friend Pamela offered to ring by my side, so one Friday after work we put on our best Santa hat and reindeer antlers and headed out for a night of jingles. We were stationed outside Sam's Club, where we had been directed to pick up the kettle and set up outside the exit. Aprons and bells were provided, and we decided to bring along candy canes, too.

"Ring a ling a ling!"

Then we just started ringing. It was little awkward at first, and I felt kinda bad making all that noise. But we had the hang of it in no time, and soon found ourselves ringing and singing along -- quite appropriately -- to "Jingle Bells." Our talents eventually evolved into a coordinated can-can dance. It was pretty amazing. We even tried to take it one step further by adding a spin, but soon realized we weren't quite coordinated enough for that.

Not only did our dancing and singing keep us warm in 25-degree weather, but it jazzed up the crowd, too. Employees at the store were constantly cheering us on. Some customers complimented our moves, too, or at least our enthusiasm. While some people did make fun of us or look past without a smile, I think our efforts definitely revved up donations. I'd say about one in 10 people would stop by our bucket and dig through their purse or wallet for money.

The donors were all ages, although the older people and children seemed to especially like it. Kids would smile and smile at us and beg their moms for money. Most of these mothers would give them a dollar or change, and they would eagerly slide it into the slot. Even after donating, many waved goodbye all the way to the car. One or two kids must have donated their own money, picking out the coins from a little cartoon coin purses before plopping them in the kettle. Adults were just as generous. In fact, they hardly ever put in change, but instead slipped in folded dollar bills. Most people gave a few bucks, but some even put in $5 or $20.

Not everyone could give, with many explaining to us they didn't have any cash or just gave a donation last time they were out. Yet almost every person, whether giving change or not, thanked us for what we were doing. We also got more "Merry Christmas" wishes than I've ever received in one year. It was so nice to connect with others over something selfless, as we were all just trying to help others in need.

By the end of our two hour shift, Pamela and I estimated we'd raised more than $100. We felt pretty good about that, too, considering it's $100 the Salvation Army wouldn't have if we hadn't stood out there ringing our bells. We both agreed this will be a new holiday tradition for us -- except next year we'll accompany our ringing bells and dance moves with a boom box.