Red Kettle Challenge

To raise awareness of the Red Kettle and support for The Salvation Army nationwide, National Commander Commissioner Kenneth Hodder challenged the nation to raise more money than he could in one, four-hour bell ringing shift. While the challenge was to raise more funds than the National Commander, the real goal was to raise awareness and garner support from the community for The Salvation Army.

More than 20 elected officials participated in the challenge by ringing bells with their local Salvation Army. Some even connected via livestream with Commissioner Hodder during the challenge. Local and national advisory board members also stepped up, joining the effort to support the Army through bell ringing this year. In addition, several celebrities, including Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns), Sadie Robertson (“Duck Dynasty”), and at least 10 Miss Teen Volunteer America and Miss Volunteer America titleholders, rang bells across the nation. 

Onsite, National Commander Commissioner Hodder was joined by Berkley Bryant, Miss Volunteer America 2025, and Haleigh Hurst, Miss Virginia Volunteer. Together, they rang for the entire second hour, bringing excitement and vital support to the challenge. 

In total, nearly $380,000 was raised nationwide in just four hours this year.

Gold Nugget

New Albany, IN — While participating in the National Commander’s Red Kettle Challenge, Captains Kory and Heidi Strand were stunned by a remarkable anonymous donation—a gold nugget worth an estimated $50,000. The generous gift occurred during the Red Kettle Challenge livestream, allowing National Commander Commissioner Kenneth Hodder to share in the excitement. 

The donors left a letter explaining that the day they found the nugget and the day they donated it to The Salvation Army are now among the best days of their lives. “Now because of their generous gift, many people in our community will have their own ‘best day’” said Captain Heidi Strand. “This beautiful piece of ‘creation art’ formed by God’s hand will bring hope and renewed life to many. Praise the Lord!”

Empire State Building

On December 2, the Empire State Building lit up red and white to mark the start of The Salvation Army Greater New York Division’s Red Kettle campaign and to honor The Salvation Army’s remarkable service. National Commander Commissioner Kenneth Hodder, Commissioner Jolene Hodder and Carlos and Alexa PenaVega joined the kickoff, with the PenaVegas doing the honor of ceremonially switching on the lights. The Red Kettle also made an appearance atop the Empire State Building. The Greater New York Division served more than one million New Yorkers in the 2023–2024 fiscal year, providing 9.8 million meals, 200,095 nights of shelter and 481,275 hours of music lessons.

International Prayer Focus

This month, we are praying for:

• USA Eastern Territory: (March 3–9)
• Norway, Iceland and The Faeroes Territory: (March 10–16)
• Bangladesh Territory: (March 17–23)
• Australia Territory: (March 24–30)