Salvation Army courts gold coin donors

[quaoar]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apus_story.asp?category=1110&slug=Gold%20Coins

By JAN DENNIS
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

PEORIA, Ill. -- Salvation Army officials don't know who has been dropping gold coins into their holiday kettles over the past 20 years, but they hope the mysterious donations continue.

More than 300 gold coins have been collected since the early 1980s, with an average value of about $200 each, said Cliff Marshall, spokesman for the charity in Chicago, where the tradition began.

Chicago bell-ringers have brought in 10 gold coins so far this year. They aren't the only ones.

In Kirksville, Mo., someone donated a gold coin that was minted 20 years before the Civil War, worth nearly $1,000. A $400 South African Krugerrand was dropped in a kettle in Bloomington, Ill., meaning 12 extra families will get a complete Christmas dinner.

[w4rma]

1. There are many other charities in the US. The Salvation Army isn't the

only one. How about the AP covering some of the other charities?

[quaoar]

2. If some other charity

got some mysterious donation, I'm sure they would.

[puddycat]

3. The Salvation Army does good work.

I don't agree with everything they do, but they try hard to help people.

[lgardengate]

4. We always give to the Salvation Army,They...

Do good work and NEVER charge a fee for coffee (etc) like the Red Cross does.

[Whoa_Nelly]

5. Salvation Army has a policy

of not hiring homosexuals. I wouldn't give'em a dime.

[stevebreeze]

6. Just a little beside the point the gold coins indicate something else

total donations are DOWN and gold coins are up. his matches up very well with the experience of retailer the last...oh lets say 4 years. Upper end retailers have thrived while retailers serving common folk have floundered. Do we see a pattern here? It is just one way of seeing how we all do better when we all do better. When the top does better the only thing that trickles down is misery.

[VegasWolf]

7. I never give salvation Army money, will give them old clothes.n/t