Last Day to Give in Salvation Army Tree of Lights Campaign

Midland Division launches eleventh hour social media push to topple goal

St. Louis, MO – With its annual Tree of Lights campaign wrapping up Tuesday night, The Salvation Army's Midland Division, which serves Missouri and Southern Illinois is short of its fundraising goal by an estimated 20 percent. The Midland Division's goal for the 2011-2012 Tree of Lights campaign was set at $6.5 million, a figure that represents funds needed to deliver needed social services to the St. Louis area.

Nationally, The Salvation Army raised $147.6 million through the 2011 Red Kettle Campaign, marking a new fundraising record for the campaign. The new record, a 3.4 percent increase from 2010, highlights the support of American donors who gave generously despite a continued slow economy. Donated funds remain in the communities they were donated, to serve the local population.

Local Salvation Army staff members continue to work toward achieving their goal in hopes of declaring similar success at the conclusion of their campaign, which began after Thanksgiving and included the traditional bellringers, and more than 25 local events.

In its 120th year, after beginning on the wharf in San Francisco in 1891, the Red Kettle Campaign has become a Christmas tradition that utilizes volunteers to ring bells at 25,000 red kettles across the country. In 2011, The Salvation Army expanded on the Campaign by incorporating new technologies at kettles and hosting national events to inspire giving.

In the eleventh hour, The Salvation Army's local team is working to raise the additional capital utilizing social media, through a newly launched Twitter campaign (@SalArmySTL) in conjunction with Facebook, YouTube and website.

“Technology is changing the way charities raise money. Whether through a credit card at a kettle or online, we’re making an effort to reach the next generation of donors and make it convenient for people to support the campaign,” said Commissioner Roberts.

The Red Kettle Campaign, the oldest annual charitable fundraiser of its kind in the United States, helps raise money for those who need it most in communities nationwide – providing toys for kids, coats for the homeless, food for the hungry and countless social service programs year-round. From its humble beginnings as a fundraiser started by a Salvation Army captain in San Francisco in 1891, the Red Kettle Campaign has grown into one of the most recognizable and important charitable outreach efforts in the United States.

To look at ways you can give to the work of The Salvation Army in St. Louis, click here.

About The Salvation Army - St. Louis
The Salvation Army, an international organization, has been supporting those in need without discrimination for 130 years in Missouri. Nearly 350,000 people throughout Missouri and Southern Illinois receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar spent is used to carry out those services throughout the region. For more information, go to www.stl-salvationarmy.org.