Salvation Army Major Sets New Record in Murrieta, Rings Bell for 150 Hours Straight

A Salvation Army major set a new record this weekend in Murrieta for the longest continuous bell-ringing by an individual– 150 hours.

Maj. Marcelino “Butch” Soriano, 47, began his record-breaking attempt at 4 a.m. Monday.

On Friday, he passed the previous record established by he and two other bell-ringers, 105 hours, according to Salvation Army spokeswoman Kathy Lovin. He reached 150 hours by making it to 10 Sunday morning.

“The reality is that I was sure that I would not be able to accomplish this quest on my own strength,” Soriano said Sunday, moments after reaching the milestone. “I needed God’s strength.”

According to the Salvation Army’s contest rules, Soriano accrued five minutes of rest for every continuous hour he rang his bell. He had to stand the entire duration and could only eat, sit down, use the restroom or take a nap during his five-minute breaks. He could take a drink whenever he needed one, as long as it didn’t interfere with bell-ringing.

Volunteers stepped in and took over the bell whenever Soriano was on break, according to the Salvation Army.

The five-minute breaks could be pooled together, allowing him to take two to four naps each day -- the longest spanning just 25 minutes.

Like all feats of physical and spiritual endurance, Soriano conceded there were low moments.

His first real test came at about the 51st hour, when his feet began to ache and throb. By the 84th hour, it was clear his feet were severely swollen.

“I was like, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to keep going,” Soriano said.

An hour later, a stranger who had no idea of the pain he was in, offered a bit of powerful support.

“In the 85th hour, there was a gentleman who came behind me, he put a hand on me and prayed for me,” Soriano recalled. “A lot of the discomfort came out of me.”

Another wave of motivation swept over him later in the effort, he said, when he noticed a woman making a donation was wearing a shirt bearing “Philippians 4:13,” a Bible verse he had used as inspiration before. The verse says: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

“I was at a very low point, where it was very uncomfortable,” Soriano said. “God reminded me because that verse was on that person’s shirt.”

Soriano said he wanted to pursue the record in celebration of the Salvation Army’s 150 years in existence and its 124th annual Red Kettle Campaign, during which bell-ringers seek donations outside stores throughout the holiday season.

According to the nonprofit, the nickels, dimes, quarters and dollars collected support a range of programs, including free Thanksgiving and Christmas meals for the needy.

The Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula has supported the effort and promised to match all of Soriano’s kettle collections, up to $2,000, according to the Salvation Army. They also hooked him up with a much-needed back massage following the event.

As of Monday morning, the total was still being calculated as to how much Soriano helped raise throughout the week.

Soriano took part in a similar event last December, when he and two other Salvation Army workers -- one in Minnesota, the other in Texas -- jointly stayed on bell-ringing duty for 105 hours.

On Sunday morning, after standing and catching only catnaps for nearly a week, Soriano explained that a good sleep would have to wait a bit longer.

“Actually, right now I’m going to change so I can go to church,” he said.

– City News Service contributed to this report.