Wave Of Jewelry Donations Made To Mass. Salvation Army Red Kettles
BOSTON (CBS) -- An anonymous ring donation to a Salvation Army Red Kettle in Lowell this month has sparked several other jewelry donations to multiple locations in Massachusetts.
The most recent donation was made on Saturday, when two volunteers from the Lynn Rotary Club were approached by a woman who gave them a green box containing a diamond and emerald gold pendant, a necklace, and also a lady's gold, diamond, and emerald ring valued at more than $900, according to a statement released by The Salvation Army on Monday.
A note attached to the box read "Inspired by the story of the widow who donated her diamond ring last year," adding that the donation be used to help those struggling with addiction, according to the statement.
In Framingham, an engagement ring was left in a kettle outside the Stop & Shop Supermarket on Old Connecticut Path on Dec. 9. That same day, a wedding band was donated in East Boston, while multiple late 1800s-era silver dollars with notes saying "In Memory of Mom" were left at locations in Lowell, Salem, and Woburn.
On Dec. 8, an anonymous donor left jewelry with a note attached in a kettle at the MBTA's North Station.
"Dear Salvation Army, I donate this diamond ring and gold wedding band in memory of a loving fiancé and in remembrance of all those who grieve, that they may have hope," reads the note. "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year!"
It was the same location where last year's jewelry donation wave started after an anonymous widow put her diamond engagement and wedding rings in the North Station kettle, according to the statement. Following that donation, 15 jewelry donations were made, resulting in more than $30,000 being raised for the cause.
In Swampscott, a vintage lady's watch and emerald jewelry were put into a kettle outside the Stop & Shop Supermarket on Paradise Road.
A diamond engagement ring and a wedding band also were donated at a kettle near the Market Basket in Billerica on Nov. 30. They were later auctioned off, raising $1,800 for the Salvation Army.
Red Kettle donations are down about 14 percent compared to last year, officials say. The Salvation Army is trying to raise $3.4 million this year.
The donations help support programs and services that benefit hundreds of thousands of children, families and seniors in Massachusetts, according to the statement.
To make a donation, visit the Salvation Army of Massachusetts website.
