A Hollow Ringing Each Year At Christmastime Charities Launch Fund-Raisers

A long with the annual frenzy to buy gifts, bake cookies and send cards every Christmas is the clamor for cash otherwise known as charitable donations.

In Spokane, several charities run major fund-raising campaigns at Christmastime, hoping to capitalize on the sentiment of the season.

Every year one or two of the money drives falter, while the others succeed.

In addition to the Marines’ Toys for Tots and The Spokesman-Review Christmas Fund, Catholic Charities and the Salvation Army try to raise large amounts of money to support their year-round efforts to help the poor.

This year, Toys for Tots and the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle drive are coming up short. The bell ringers have only collected $40,000 so far, compared to $75,000 at this time last year.

Catholic Charities and the Christmas Fund are keeping pace with previous years.

Combined, those four charities are trying to raise $1.2 million.

And just before Thanksgiving, United Way wrapped up its annual workplace campaign, raising a record $5.1 million, but missing its goal by $400,000.

“It’s probably the agency that does the best public relations that reaches its goal,” said Maj. Dave Bowler, coordinator for the Spokane Salvation Army.

Last year, Bowler noted, the Red Kettle collection was doing great until the week before Christmas. That week, the Christmas Fund made a major push and collected more than $174,000.

It’s not so much that the charities are competing for the same pot of cash as they are competing for the same attention span of the public, Bowler said.

Whether it’s the economy, a natural disaster or the weather, some unforeseen event always impacts fund-raising.

Last year, United Way attributed a disappointing campaign to a shaky economy. This year, the bell ringers and Toys for Tots are suffering because of the Nov. 19 ice storm, that knocked out power to 100,000 homes and businesses.

The bell ringers, paid employees, were going through training the day the storm hit, said Lori Bartmess, kettle drive coordinator. Several of the bell ringers, who are low-income people, were hit hard by the storm. Many couldn’t make their shifts. Some showed up only to find the store they were working in was closed due to a power outage.

“The storm put us at least two weeks behind,” Bartmess said.

Usually the bell ringers raise about $150,000 - at least 20 percent of the budget from which the Salvation Army’s shelter and family-services office operate, Bowler said.

“We have to have hope, but we have to be realistic, too,” Bowler said. “And it looks like we will fall short of our goal, unless there is really an outpouring next week.”

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