Minnesota Salvation Army Receives $500,000 Check from Anonymous Couple

By Cheri Cheng - 30 Nov '15 16:15PM

A huge donation has been made to a Salvation Army.

The officials from Minnesota and North Dakota stated that a couple deposited their check into a Salvation Army red kettle in Rosemount over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The check is worth $500,000.

Annette Bauer, the spokeswoman for the organization, said that the check is the largest donation the Salvation Army has ever received in the Minneapolis area. Bauer added that the check is most likely the largest one ever within the area of both states.

The couple, who wants to remain anonymous, has a history of donating to the organization. Bauer stated that the couple called in advance before they dropped off the check on Saturday so that volunteers or other employees would not open it and learn their names.

"Yes, we believe the check is definitely good," Julie Borgen with the Salvation Army said Monday reported by the Star Tribune. "We have been in touch with the donors, but they want to remain anonymous. This couple has supported the Army before with large checks in kettles, but never anything close to this level."

Bauer has described the donation as "an astonishing gift."

"We are simply stunned and honored to have received such a generous gift," Maj. Jeff Strickler, the Salvation Army's commander for the Twin Cities, added. "This is a true blessing, and it could not come at a better time for the Salvation Army and the people we serve."

"You get to a point in life where it's time to take care of others, the way you were taken care of," the couple said in a statement to the charity.

Prior to this check, the largest donation ever found in a red kettle was $25,000. The average hourly donation rate for the kettle is $30.

"We invite everyone to please give what they can," Strickler said. "Every dollar counts, and we only have 30 days left to meet our goal."

The Salvation Army's goal is to raise $11.6 million. They have raised $2.2 million so far, which is around the same amount that they raised last year at this time.