Over sixty Metro Detroit celebrities, including some from WWJ and our Audacy sister stations, came together to ring the bell during the cold holiday season. Their goal was to collect donations and fill the Salvation Army red kettle to the brim. These donations would go towards helping those in need across the listening area, providing them with essential items like food and shelter.

Pat Milliken Ford's $20 Challenge

During this event, there was a special challenge called the Pat Milliken Ford $20 Challenge. For every $20 donation, whether made online or to a physical kettle, Pat Milliken would match and quadruple the donation, turning it into $100. It's important to note that for the physical red kettle, it must be a $20 bill - not two tens or four fives. This matching opportunity ended at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, December 7th.

Local Celebrities and Their Donation Efforts

Our own Charlie Langton was seen ringing the bell along with Fox 2 Detroit's Lori Pinson and Scott Wolchek. It was a great sight to see these local celebrities come together to make a difference. Additionally, there were other celebrities participating from our Audacy sister stations such as WOMC's JoAnne Purtan and Jason Raithel, WYCD's Rachael Hunter, Holly Hutton, Rob Stone, and Sarah Thomas.People can support these local celebrities by donating to their virtual red kettles through Monday, December 9th. By making a $20 donation through various methods like texting GIFT to 24365, donating via an online kettle, Paypal, Venmo, or a physical red kettle, or visiting SAmetrodetroit.org or calling 877-SAL-MICH, they can contribute to this worthy cause.

Salvation Army's Impact and Partnerships

The Salvation Army is a faith-based, non-profit organization founded in 1865 by William and Catherine Booth in London. In Michigan, it has been working since 1887 and operates 61 centers of operation. Annually, these facilities provide nearly 4.8 million meals and more than 1.1 million nights of shelter for the homeless. The organization uses $.83 of every dollar raised to directly serve those in need.During Celebrity Bell Ringing Weekend, the Salvation Army Great Lakes Division also partnered with the Elks Lodge. Elks members were ringing the bell at several red kettle locations throughout the region. The lodge that raises the most during this time will be awarded the first-ever Golden Kettle Award, a traveling trophy that will be passed on to the top fundraising lodge each year.Lisa Serrano from the Elks Lodge expressed her desire to help the community. She said, "There's a lot of people out there who could use the money, especially now. There's the homeless, there's people struggling with the economy." This shows the real impact that these fundraising efforts have on the lives of those in need.The Salvation Army's work is crucial during the holiday season and throughout the year. Their dedication to serving people in need without discrimination is truly inspiring. By coming together and supporting these efforts, we can make a positive difference in the lives of many.