$175 Gold Coin, Silver Bar in Salvation Army Red Kettles Mean Time for Giving is Here

In Iowa City, volunteers discovered a $175 gold coin, generously dropped in a Red Kettle by a mystery donor. In Ankeny, volunteers found a silver bar worth more than $34 at today's silver prices.

Stories like that warm the heart around the holiday season and offers a reminder to the rest of us to dig a little deeper to help the less fortunate.

The Salvation Army's Red Kettle program is one way.

Arvid Huisman, spokesman for the Salvation Army of Des Moines, said that for a number of years, the organization has found silver and gold in their kettles. The silver bar is the first precious metal donation of the season.

In Iowa City, a volunteer discovered a 1/10 Krugerrand coin worth $175 earlier this month. This is now the fifth year someone has donated a gold coin in one of the Red Kettles.  Last year a 1/10 ounce American Eagle was found.  

“This is becoming a wonderful tradition here in Johnson County. One we hope continues for many years to come,” said Lieutenant William Richardson of the Johnson County Salvation Army.

The discovery of the silver bar offsets some the sting of the theft of two Red Kettles and stands earlier this month, according to Huisman, who said that as of last weekend, the campaign had generated $259,961 or nearly 22 percent of its $1.2 million goal in the Des Moines metro area.

The Red Kettle campaign includes the physical Red Kettles and a direct mail campaign. The Red Kettles and their bell ringers have generated $88,754, or a little more than a third of the total.

Huisman indicated that the current total is about 12 percent ahead of last year's campaign at this time.

In Cedar Falls, you can drop a coin – or coins, whatever is within your means – outside such places as Hy-Vee, Fareway, Walmart and Target.