Despite an ambitious goal, The Salvation Army of Hot Springs met and exceeded its bell-ringing fundraising target, Captain Bryan Brinlee said Thursday.
Brinlee said the divisional headquarters sent an email to the 28 corps throughout Arkansas and Oklahoma that there would be no bell-ringing on Christmas Eve due to inclement weather.
"I've been cut two days short of ringing. ... Actually, DHQ in Oklahoma and Arkansas put out an email (Wednesday) and said we need to cancel bell ringing on Friday," he said. "So we're all having to cancel, all over the state of Arkansas and Oklahoma, bell-ringing on Friday because of the temperatures."
Despite the lack of bell ringers on the streets Thursday afternoon and Friday, Brinlee said volunteers had brought in $137,207.15. The local corps set an ambitious goal of $130,000, which was over last year's record donation amount of $128,000.
"Our goal was $130,000, which is the highest we've ever done in Hot Springs," he said. "Last year we did $128,000. ... It's just absolutely incredible."
Brinlee said the hope is to keep the volunteers and bell-ringers safe with temperatures dropping.
"With the weather event happening, (we're) just trying to keep our bell-ringers safe and keeping everybody indoors and stuff like that," Brinlee said, noting that over half of the bell-ringers the local corps uses are homeless. "But I'll tell you those bell-ringers did an amazing job this year."
Brinlee said the Red Shield Cafe, The Salvation Army of Hot Springs' feeding program, would not be open on Friday due to the temperatures and threats of inclement weather.
The local corps offices and Red Shield Cafe will be closed Monday and Tuesday for the Christmas holidays, and they will reopen Wednesday.