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Salvation Army Gets a Few Surprises in Its Kettles

Matt Trotter
/
KWGS

It’s happened again — the Salvation Army gets a Christmastime gold coin donation in its kettles.

Maj. Jim Taylor says during collections last night, they found a folded and taped $2 bill. Inside was a gold $20 U.S. coin from 1880.

"Then as we continued to count the money that was in the other kettles, we pulled out two more $20, 1880 coins, also wrapped in $2 bills," Taylor said. "Then, later in the evening, in a plastic container, we pulled out the Krugerrand."

An anonymous donor or donors have dropped expensive coins into Salvation Army kettles nearly every year for more than a decade. Taylor has no idea who donates the coins.

"But he had — or she, whoever it is — had a lot of fun yesterday, going to various locations and dropping these coins into our kettles," he said.

The American coins were found in kettles from three different Reasor’s, while the Krugerrand was donated at a Walmart Neighborhood Market.

The coins are valued at $5,100 dollars altogether. Taylor said despite the sudden boost to donations, they’re only two-thirds of the way to their goal six days before Christmas.

"We'll take whatever people can put in there, because that money is used year-round to help feed people, shelter people, help with our programs at our boys and girls clubs — whatever assistance we can get in our kettles is greatly appreciated," Taylor said.

The Salvation Army’s goal is $600,000 dollars. Tulsa Gold and Silver will match donations made tomorrow up to $15,000 dollars.

Matt Trotter joined KWGS as a reporter in 2013. Before coming to Public Radio Tulsa, he was the investigative producer at KJRH. His freelance work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and on MSNBC and CNN.