Gold coin dropped in Salvation Army kettle

MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- The Salvation Army is just days into its Red Kettle campaign and it has already received a major gift.

Someone dropped a 1904 $20 gold piece into the kettle at the Sam’s Club in Mishawaka.

The gold coin was dropped into the kettle while George Shull was ringing the bell. He has been a bell ringer for 30 years. Eight of those years have been in front of the Sam’s Club.

He shared what it takes to be a good bell ringer.

“'Well you got to smile, make people happy, and they want to know the bell ringers are there to make people happy and smile. Bring something back for the holiday season because the Salvation Army’s been out for a long, long time and I love working with them, they’re real good to me,” said Shull.
He said he usually earns $400 each day. The gold coin is worth $1,800 alone.

The coin was wrapped in a white fortune with a quote from William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army. It said, ‘Work as if everything depended upon work and pray as if everything depended on prayer.'