Henderson County's five mayors make Salvation Army fundraising predictions
One of Henderson County’s five mayors will have bragging rights as the top “Prophetic Prognosticator” when the Salvation Army’s 2018 Red Kettle Drive ends just before Christmas.
All five mayors submitted predictions of how much money Salvation Army employees and hundreds of volunteer bell ringers — people who staff the Army’s iconic red kettles — will raise this holiday season before a Kettle Drive Kickoff held Saturday at the Historic Courthouse plaza.
Their guesses were displayed on a poster during the kickoff, which included a brief speech by Salvation Army Maj. Brian Gilliam and performances by the First Baptist Church youth choir and the Salvation Army Brass Band.
Gilliam, who is taking part in his 42nd Christmas with the Army, said he hopes Henderson County residents will prove the prognosticators wrong by dropping more money into the kettles than the highest guess of $102,000, which was made by Mills River Mayor Chae Davis.
“The Christmas season brings out the best in everyone,” he said. “Everything given locally is spent right here. It stays where it’s raised.”
Gilliam also said his agency is seeing an increase in the number of families needing help, whether it’s food, clothing, temporary housing or Christmas gifts donated through the Army’s Angel Tree program.
“There seems to be a great economic divide in this area,” he said. “Either people are very well off or they’re very poor. There’s nothing in between."
He added: “I don’t want to see children suffering because their parents made bad decisions."
Marilyn Jerome, who plays cornet in the Salvation Army Brass Band and was a top money-raiser three years ago, said she knows there are generous and compassionate people of all ages living in Henderson County.
“One year I was a bell ringer at Harris Teeter, and a 4- or 5-year-old boy who was wearing black pants, a white shirt and a tie looked me straight in the eye and then pulled out his wallet,” Jerome recalled. “He gave me some money and said, ‘Merry Christmas,’ and then he went into Harris Teeter and told everyone in there to go out and fill (my) bucket up.
“His mother came out and told me that, and then she said he was going to be our next president.”
Flat Rock Mayor Bob Staton came closest to guessing the $97,000 that was raised last year, according to Bill Bricker, the Salvation Army’s community relations coordinator.
Bricker said the predictions ranged from $101,000 to $110,000, but they are much closer together this year.
“I think they got wiser,” he said. “Who knows, maybe they all had lunch together and talked about it.”
Fletcher Mayor Rod Whiteside has this year’s lowest prognostication at $98,700, followed by Staton’s $101,000 and Laurel Park Mayor Carey O’Cain’s $101,400. Hendersonville Mayor Barbara Volk — who won two years ago — predicts $101,500, just under Davis’ $102,000.
Unless Staton wins again, he’ll relinquish the plaque that was presented to him last spring during the Army’s annual volunteer appreciation luncheon.
Bricker said that while the Salvation Army uses its eight employees to staff the kettles, volunteer bell ringers are needed for one- and two-hour shifts at 17 red kettle locations situated throughout the county.
“Whenever we can get a volunteer to take the place of an employee, it saves us money that we can give back to the community,” he said.
Anyone who would like to be a bell ringer can sign up online at registertoring.com, or by calling Bricker at 828-280-1163.
Stephen Kindland is a freelance writer and photographer living in Fletcher. He can be reached at stephenkindland@gmail.com.