Today, Dec. 5, 2020, marks the 60th year that members of the Brighton Kiwanis Club have rung the bell for the Salvation Army, according to Michael Eaton, Brighton Kiwanis Bell Ringing Chair. And you have until 8 p.m. today to make a donation to them at the J.C. Penney’s at the Green Oak Village Place Mall.
Kiwanians started ringing the bell in Downtown Brighton on the first Saturday of December in 1951, and they have continued the tradition ever since. Locations have changed during the years, from Downtown Brighton to Brighton State Bank to the Brighton Mall to Meijer’s, and now to the J.C. Penney’s at the Green Oak Village Place Mall.
Throughout the years, the temperatures have ranged from 0 to 55 degrees. One bell-ringing day, it was 10 degrees and 7 inches of snow fell . Some of the Kiwanis members are snowbirds in Florida and ring the bell on the same day, but in warmer and sunny condition.
April Dertian of the Salvation Army tallied up the numbers, and discovered that the Brighton Kiwanis club members have volunteered over 1,000 hours of bell ringing and raised over $75,000 on the first Saturday of December. Many years, their kettle receives the largest daily donation for the season.
The Brighton Kiwanis Club — along with the Brighton Aktion Club, Kiwanis service club for disabled adults, and the Hilton Cub Scouts — will be ringing until 8 p.m. at the Penney’s at the Green Oak Village Place Mall.
PHOTO: Kiwanians ringing the bell for the Salvation Army are Mark Shay, Dennis Dimoff, Terri Pawlowski-Shay (club president) and Marcy Jensen-Waller at the J.C. Penney’s at the Green Oak Village Place Mall.
