COLUMBUS, Ind. — It seemed fitting that Cadyn Pinkerton danced near the entrance of Party City the other day.
The 17-year-old Columbus North High School student actually busted a move or two at the Salvation Army Red Kettle positioned closer to the door of neighboring Hobby Lobby. But he clearly was enjoying a little party city of his own while adopting a simple hobby during his stint as a bell ringer.
“I just want to see people smile,” he said, following with a grin of his own.
The local nonprofit’s annual Red Kettle Campaign, unfolding at 16 sites around Columbus through Dec. 24, not counting a mail-in push that stretches to the end of January, could use a smile and some joy of its own. Leaders say they’re behind in donations for its annual campaign that funds its pantry, utilities assistance, Angel Tree Christmas gift outreach, youth programs, summer camps, and more.
Part of the reason for the shortfall is the novel coronavirus, according to Capt. Amy Tompkins, the leader of the local outreach.
“We just haven’t had the normal response (for bell ringers),” Tompkins said.
But a number of unmanned kettles, which are secured, locked and surrounded by security cameras, are being left at some retailers in the hopes that people still will give, Tompkins said.
Current collection total stands at $43,000 — not all that strong, Tompkins said, especially considering that the campaign got its earliest start ever on Nov. 5.
That was to help combat what is believed to be a greater community need because of the strain of the COVID-19 pandemic on job losses and more. The goal this year by the end of January is $135,000.
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.
