Antlers and right attitude help fill Christmas Kettle

Kim Opalinsky loves being a bell ringer for the Salvation Army. After all, it gives the realtor a reasonable excuse to wear a pair of fuzzy dollar store antlers that have blinking lights.

Whatever helps her to attract attention to the Christmas kettle station, she says. Every little bit helps, especially when so many passersby do just that, often without making eye contact.

“I'm usually at the exit so I just say ‘Have a good night!' Some people just walk by but some of them say, ‘You too!' Some of them reach in their pocket and come back with a little bit of change. There are, sometimes, people who walk by and say, ‘Oh, I donated yesterday.'”

“To me, it doesn't really matter. If you have a little bit to spare, every penny counts. If everybody put in a dollar when they walked into a store, you know how much money you'd have at the end of the day? It's not the value amount that counts.

Video by April Bartlett

At the same time, she admitted that she doesn't give a dollar every time she passes by a kettle. It's primarily because of modern currency. “I have a debit card. Mostly everyone uses debit. They hardly have any money on them.”

She's only done this a handful of times so far but finds the experience as rewarding as any other volunteer opportunity that she's taken up. Giving back to the community is the gift you give to others and to yourself, she says, even when shoppers don't stop to drop a donation in the bucket.

One woman (who declined to offer her real name) said that prompting charity in such ways is a bit in your face, which could lead many to that moment of uncertainty of what to do.

“I always feel silly or awkward walking past the smiling faces, but I donate to several other charities and organizations. I do make sure to smile and say hello though.”

While most donors offer smaller denominations, Opalinsky was pleased when she received a $100 bill by one person. She speculated that it might have been her lucky headwear. “I said, ‘It must be the antlers.' I took a selfie and put it on Facebook.”

She said that it's not the amount but the spirit of giving that counts. To illustrate this, she offered a heartwarming story.

“There was this little girl. Her dad and mom walked by but she came, reached in her pocket. She had a little change purse. She put some money in and then went to her dad and said, ‘It's a good thing to give,'” she said, a joyful swell of emotion in her voice.

Her two sons, Dylon and Ty, have even gotten on the bandwagon to help promote giving. The twins are part of the metal band Appraise the Peril, which performed at the Walmart kettle station recently. They attracted a small crowd of revelers and one consumer was moved enough to pop in another $50 bill to the cause.

“They came home and said, ‘That was so much fun, we want to do it again.' They were just beaming! People were videotaping them!” Appraise the Peril will be performing a selection of Christmas songs at the same location again on Dec. 12 and 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. Early reports are inconclusive about whether the five bandmates will be wearing their own blinking antlers.

Opalinsky ended by prompting others to consider donating money to the cause or to volunteering as bell ringers for future stations. “There's always room for more help.”