RINGING — Waseca Police Chief Penny Vought, State Representative John Petersburg, and Waseca Fire Chief Jason Forshee are three of many volunteers organizing the ringing for the Salvation Army in Waseca this year.
Salvation Army ringing in Waseca
Sat, 12/31/2022 - 3:22pm
“Last year, we collected $3,000. Our goal is to triple that this season.”
— Representative John Petersburg
The Salvation Army is synonymous with holiday spirit. Every year, ringers are stationed at Hy-Vees, Walmarts, and other businesses throughout the country to collect money to help people in need.
This year, a committee made up of State Representative John Petersburg, Police Chief Penny Vought, Fire Chief Jason Forshee, Sheriff Brad Milbrath, and many other members are preparing for another year of ringing in Waseca.
According to Petersburg, the prospect of forming a committee for a Waseca branch of the Salvation Army started two and a half years ago. In the first year of having ringers at the Waseca Walmart, $1,000 was raised.
“Last year, we collected $3,000,” Petersburg explains. “Our goal is to triple that this season.”
An important date for people to remember is December 3. To make the Salvation Army donation drive a little more competitive, there will be a friendly rivalry between the Waseca Police, the Waseca Fire, and the Waseca County Sheriff. During December 3, volunteers from all three departments will be ringing for two hours. The police department will ring from noon to 2 p.m., the sheriffs will take over from 2-4 p.m., and the fire department will close things from 4-6 p.m.
“We love competing against each other,” Police Chief Vought says. “It’s always fun, because we know we’re going to win anyway.”
Fire Chief Jason Forshee seemed confident as well, according to Vought. “When we were sending emails back and forth deciding which time slots our departments would take, Forshee responded that he’d be fine with whatever the fire department got since they would win the competition no matter what the time was.”
Whichever department wins will receive awards during a committee meeting about a week after December 3.
All donations received will go directly to Salvation Army programs such as providing clothing to those who need it. One service offered by the organization that is especially advertised by the City of Waseca is its HeatShare program, which helps those in the community by providing money for heating bills and heating-related repairs.
Petersburg encourages those who are interested in helping ring bells and collect donations at Walmart can register at registertoring.com and pick a time. “Anyone who wants to sign up can do so right away,” he adds.