Minneapolis centers freshen up Salvation Army kettles

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Release date: October 21, 2009  /  Print This     RSS    

The Salvation Army’s kettles are getting a fresh coat of red paint for the Minneapolis/St. Paul 2009 holiday season, courtesy of six Maaco centers in the Twin Cities.

The Maaco shops in Minneapolis, Fridley, Little Canada, West St. Paul, St. Louis Park and Burnsville each will paint 200 kettles. The stores are donating roughly $12,000 in materials and labor for the project.

“Maaco’s donation will add years to the life of the kettles,” Major Darryl Leedom, commander of the Twin Cities Salvation Army, told the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. “It also will save us a bundle of money that we will use to serve people in need this holiday season.” The local NBC station also reported on the centers’ generosity.

The painting began Oct. 1 at the Minneapolis Maaco operated by Ron Wuchko, who was the first to offer assistance when The Salvation Army began approaching auto body shops last month.

“The Salvation Army does a lot of good work,” he said. “They’re part of the community and so are we. We are happy to help.”