The Salvation Army's red kettle brigade of bell-ringers is back out this holiday season raising funds outside area shops. One of them struck gold last week outside Winkie's on Silver Spring Drive in Whitefish Bay.
A gold coin was found in the red kettle on Dec. 11.
According to Major Beverly Gates, The Salvation Army of Milwaukee County's Area Commander, the gold coin is estimated to be worth about $2,800.
It is not known who dropped it in the kettle.
“This generous donation in our kettle was a wonderful surprise,” said Gates. “We are so blessed to have a community that supports us and helps us care for those most in need.”
According to Gates, the red kettle campaign has so far raised about $1.4 million this year, towards the season's goal of $3.5 million.
“This means so much to us because we can help more people with basic needs and will help to keep our programs going,” Gates said.
The bell-ringers will be out with their kettles through Dec. 24. If you would like to join them, visit registertoring.com.
In addition to dropping gold (and more typical) coins into the red kettles, you can also make donations by texting MKE to 24365.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
