GREAT FALLS — Now that the holiday season is over, The Salvation Army in Great Falls is looking for ways to make up a funding deficit. The iconic red kettle campaign is the Salvation Army’s biggest fundraiser of the year.
Due to Covid-19, there were about half the usual number of kettles and bell ringers around Great Falls during the holiday season.
A lot of fundraising efforts went virtual. The Salvation Army raised $59,743, which is about $18,000 shy of their goal. Here’s a breakdown of the fundraising efforts:
Major Mark King said that amount is not insurmountable. He says they did really well with fundraising efforts this year given the circumstances, but they’ll need to evaluate potential program cuts if they can’t make up the difference by the fall.
“We’re going to go full steam ahead because that’s all we know how to do. We’ll look for cuts if it becomes necessary, but I don’t want to panic,” said King.
The Salvation Army provides services in Cascade County in three main areas: family services, youth leagues and disaster and emergency services. King said they’re looking for other fundraising and grant opportunities.
