Jonas Brothers to Kick Off Red Kettle Campaign
Teen pop rock sensation Jonas Brothers will kick off the annual Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign by performing live during the Dallas Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day game.
"With three voices you can pull off some really cool harmonies, but imagine the harmonies you can create with hundreds of different voices. Now stop imagining and host your own Salvation Army online red kettle," said the three brothers in a service announcement for the campaign.
The award-winning boy band, known for their wholesome image, calls on Americans to launch their own personal online red kettle and email family and friends to invite them to donate to it.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"The more voices you can get to join yours, the more harmony you'll create," the Jonas' encouraged.
The brothers join a long line of big name singers who have helped launched the Christian ministry's annual Red Kettle campaign at the Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day game.
Previous music groups include Destiny's Child, Carrie Underwood, and Kelly Clarkson, who performed last year.
In addition to support from the NFL's (National Football League) Dallas Cowboys, the NHL (National Hockey League) will also lend a hand in The Salvation Army's Red Kettle effort.
Hockey fans are asked to set up a personal online Red Kettle under their favorite team's logo and invite people they know to donate to their personal kettle. The individual in the United States or Canada who collects the most donations will be awarded an NHL All-Star Game prize package that includes two tickets to the 2009 NHL All-Star Game Weekend, Jan. 23-25, in Montreal; NHL VIP pre- and post-game receptions; and the NHL SuperSkills Competition.
"The NHL is virtually synonymous with the Winter holiday season, a time when a giving and charitable spirit is pervasive," said Keith Wachtel, the NHL's senior vice president of corporate sales and marketing. "It seems only appropriate for the League to support the Salvation Army and make it easy for NHL fans to support this worthy cause."
"We look forward to working with the NHL and its fans to help The Salvation Army raise money through the Online Red Kettles," commented Major George Hood, national community relations and development secretary for The Salvation Army in the United States. "This fundraising helps us provide important social services to those in need during the Christmas season and throughout the year."
Thursday's launch event with the Jonas Brothers will mark the official start of the Salvation Army's Red Kettle season where the red buckets and ringing bells will begin to be seen and heard at thousands of locations across the United States.
Money raised during this holiday season will not only be used towards helping the needy during Christmas, but also throughout the upcoming year. The Red Kettle campaign is the Salvation Army's largest annual fundraising event.
"The Salvation Army's kettles and bells have been symbols of hope to millions of people during the Christmas season in the past," said Graham Moore, public relations and development secretary for The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda. "This year we hope kettles and pucks will work in the same way."
The Christmas Red Kettle campaign is one of the oldest annual charitable fundraisers in the United States. It began in 1891 and is now one of the most recognizable and important charitable campaigns involving more than 20,000 volunteers who ring bells across the country for donations.
The Salvation Army helps nearly 29 million Americans each year through a broad array of social services including food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach for the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter for the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children.
The Army supports services in more than 5,000 communities nationwide.
On the Web: give.salvationarmyusa.org
