Published: Friday, Nov. 27, 2009

Updated: Friday, Nov. 27, 2009

Salvation Army bell ringers out

MANATEE — Wednesday may have been a dreary, rainy day, but it doesn’t compare to the bone-chilling days when Lillian Kostamo at the age of 14 rang a bell in Chicago calling for passersby to drop a few coins for the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign.

“We used to work in 15-minute shifts,” Kostamo said. “When one of us was outside, the other one was inside getting warm.”

Kostamo and the other bell ringers at the 32 locations around Manatee County have been at their posts since Nov. 13.

Lt. Col. William Bamford, coordinator of the Red Kettle program for the Manatee County Salvation Army, said they need at least 35 days of bell ringing to meet their budget of $250,000.

“We use the donations to augment the cash used to support families with food and toys,” Bamford said. “We also use part for regular year-long expenses.”

The 118-year national Red Kettle Campaign officially kicked off Thanksgiving Day.

Bamford said there are 40 paid bell ringers on the street every day, along with many volunteers.

Last year more than 4,000 volunteer hours were accumulated, and Bamford expects the same or more this year.

There were 75-80 people who applied for the paid positions this year, he said.

“That was more than usual,” Bamford said, “because of people being laid off.”

The Salvation Army pays minimum wage for its bell ringers, many of whom return year after year to help the Christian organization raise funds for its mission of helping the poor.

Since moving to Bradenton 20 years ago, Kostamo has been ringing a bell for the Salvation Army every holiday season, just as she did when she lived in Chicago and Miami.

“I do it because of the Lord Jesus, and I love to help do his work,” she said.

Before Kostamo was stationed in front of the Publix in the Westgate Plaza at 3913 Manatee Ave. W., her mother, Margaret Reichhardt, who died in January 2006 at the age of 89, was a familiar bell-ringer there for many years.

Reichhardt was known for playing the accordion while singing Christmas carols.

“I’m just following my mother’s tradition,” Kostamo said, “Except I use a CD player and get to sing with Bing Crosby.”

She said many people come up to her to say how they are glad to see her back and how they love her singing.

Kostamo was raised in the Salvation Army church and plays the organ for Sunday services.

Her grandparents were even officers of the religious organization, and her husband, Virgil, also is a bell-ringer every year.

Bamford said so far collections have been down.

“I encourage the general public to be as generous as possible because the need is very great,” he said.

With the economic times being what they are, Bamford said there has been an increase in families needing food.

The annual Salvation Army fund raiser started in 1891 when Capt. Joseph McFee placed a large kettle with a sign reading, “Keep the Pot Boiling” at the ferry landing dock in San Francisco.

McFee was remembering back to his sailor days in Liverpool, England, where a pot was used to collect money for the poor.

He thought he would use the same idea to collect money to make sure as many people enjoyed Christmas as possible.

The tradition soon spread throughout other Salvation Army posts across the country.

Last year Salvation Army tested the use of credit and debit card machines in two cities, Dallas and Colorado Springs. This year the plastic kettles will be tested in 30 cities, although Bradenton does not have any.

Information from the Associated Press supplemented this report.