The Salvation Army of Spokane saw its first gold of the season on Monday even before it had a chance to distribute its red kettles throughout Spokane.

Larry Totten, of northeast Spokane, saw a story in The Spokesman-Review that mentioned a gold coin dropped in a kettle last year helped spark a $347,000 Christmas giving spree.

So Totten, an unemployed former bell-ringer himself, decided he would get a jump on the season by donating a $5 American Eagle gold coin that he paid about $144 for a few months back to the Red Kettle Campaign. Capt. Kyle Smith, who heads the Salvation Army in Spokane, came out to Totten’s home to pick it up.

Totten said he hoped to inspire others to donate to the campaign, which has its official kickoff on Wednesday with the kettles distributed on Friday.

“It takes a little yeast to make bread,” Totten said.