Red Kettle `thank you’

To the Editor:

The busy Christmas season has come and gone along with the Salvation Army's 2009 Red Kettle Campaign.

We would like to say “thank you” to our increasingly loyal bell ringers in Plymouth, Cedar Grove and Oostburg, the businesses that allowed us to ring and place a counter kettle in their establishment, numerous area taverns and restaurants that sold “paper” kettles for us and those that generously gave monetary donations to the Plymouth Service Extension Unit. Thanks to everyone’s efforts, we exceeded our goal of $57,000 and were blessed with donations totaling just over $61,500.

This will enable the Plymouth Bread of Life Assistance Center to continue its local programs including providing emergency assistance throughout the year to those in our service areas of: Adell, Cascade, Cedar Grove, Elkhart Lake, Glenbeulah, Greenbush, Hingham, Oostburg, Plymouth, Random Lake and Waldo.

As the Salvation Army’s 2009 Red Kettle Campaign volunteer coordinator in rural Sheboygan County, I would like to express thanks to the many friends and supporters who gave donations and the nearly 250 people who volunteered their gift of time to the Salvation Army between Thanksgiving and Christmas by ringing bells in Plymouth, Oostburg and Cedar Grove. Your smiles and enthusiasm to serve is tremendously appreciated.

I would also like to thank the members of the following organizations for countless hours of bell ringing:

Big Brother & Big Sisters of Sheboygan County; Boy Scout Troup 874; Cedar Grove Fire Department; Civil Air Patrol; Cub Scout Pack 3880; Dr. Munson's Office; Ebenezer UCC Carolers; Elkhart Lake FFA; employees of Dr. Jaime Marchi “Just Kids Dental”; Grace/Zion Lutheran Church Youth Group; Knights of Columbus; LEAP Youth Group UCC in Elkhart Lake; Masters Gallery's Foods; New Hope United Methodist Church; Paragon Community Services; PHS Key Club; PHS Student Council; PHS teachers; Plymouth Fire Department; Plymouth Jr. Women’s Club; Plymouth Masonic groups; Plymouth Model Railroad Club; Plymouth Optimist Club; Plymouth Optimist Club; Plymouth Police Department; ; Random Lake Middle School Student Council; Random Lake National Honor Society; Redeemer Lutheran Church; Mentor/Mentee Program; Riverview Middle School Student Council; Road America; SJB ninth- graders; SJB CCD and Confirmation groups; SJB's Mrs. Burch’s third-grade class; SJB's Mrs. Grimes’ fifth-grade class; St. John’s Lutheran Parish members; St. John's Lutheran Student Council; Women's Civic Society; Calvary Church member; Cedar Grove Faith Reformed Church members; Cedar Grove First Evangelical Presbyterian Church members; Cedar Grove First Reformed Church members; Cedar Grove

Oostburg High School Dance Team; Oostburg Elementary School Student Council group; Oostburg Christian School; Oostburg Church groups; Oostburg Sunday School classes

4-H clubs: Clover Crusaders,

Happy Workers, Johnsonville Hustlers, Kettle Moraine, Parnell Pals, Plymouth Shamrocks, Sheboygan County Wranglers, Spring Valley, Waldo Fireflies,

Willing Workers

Also, Masters Gallery Foods and their employees for ringing bells and matching donations to the Salvation Army again this year.

In addition, thank you to all the businesses, churches, schools, the 4-H Extension and radio stations, WHBL, WJUB that took the time to put up flyers, made announcements and/or printed requests for bell ringers and donations.

Special thanks to the management and personnel of Plymouth Kmart, Piggly Wiggly and Wal-Mart, Cedar Grove and Oostburg Piggly Wiggly for allowing us to ring bells at their stores and the Plymouth Review, Sheboygan Press, Random Lake Sounder, Tri-County Messenger, the Elkhart Lake Depot Dispatch and the Community TV for the advertising and articles. To the professional helpful tellers at M & I Bank in Plymouth, who were smiling and happy to see me even on their busiest days.

I would also like to personally thank Larry and Jackie TenPas of Cedar Grove and Dale and Mary Roerdink of Oostburg for helping to coordinate and pick up the kettles in their neighborhood and all those who took charge and coordinated hours for their groups. My family, husband David and my children Sarah, Rebekah and Catharine who restocked supplies, rang bells and did what ever was needed to help out.

Most of all an enormous “thank you” to everyone who gave to this year’s Kettle Campaign. Because of you, we will be able to continue meeting the needs of those in our service area that are experiencing difficult times.

May God Bless You all throughout 2010. Thank you again.

Deb Schalk, The Salvation Army Red Kettle coordinator