Alpena Salvation Army to Unveil Honorary Red Kettle and Christmas Goal

At noon this Saturday at the Walmart in Alpena, the Salvation Army will announce their honorary red kettle chairman and their Christmas goal.

The chairman will serve as a representative for the Alpena chapter. “We like to get someone from the community that can be the face of the Salvation Army and can share a little bit about what the Salvation Army does and how the Salvation Army helps the community,” said Maj. Prezza Morrison.

The bell ringers are huge part of what makes up the budget for the whole year. “The money that’s raised in Alpena stays in Alpena so we can serve the people that are here,” said Morrison. “Also, the money that is raised is for the whole year, not just the Christmas assistance, it’s for the whole year. So this is our major fundraiser that helps our budget for the whole year.”

Karen Bredow has been ringing bells for three years and it brings her a lot of joy to know she’s part of helping people in the community, even when the conditions are a little rough. “I was at Tractor Supply last night,” she said. “It was a little bit cold but I made it through.”

Over the past few years, an anonymous donor has been placing $500 in each kettle, showing just how generous someone can be this time of the year.

The bell ringers are doing their part but, according to Morrison, they’re always looking for more help. “We could always use bell ringers, especially volunteer bell ringers,” she said. “All you need to do is go to and you can go in and pick your day and your time and your site. It’s really cool especially if you do it as a family.”