Salvation Army donation as good as gold

COLUMBUS -- A special donation was discovered in bell ringer Don Schneider’s Salvation Army bucket.

A “full” Krugerrand gold coin valued at more than $800 spilled out of Schneider’s kettle at the end of his bell-ringing shift at the west entrance of Wal-Mart.

Krugerrands are gold coins minted by the Republic of South Africa. The coins contain exactly one troy ounce of 22 karat gold. The actual weight is slightly more because a small amount of copper is added to make the coin more durable. The coins do not have a specific face value, but rise and fall in value as the price of gold shifts.

“I didn’t see it go in the kettle, and no one commented about it that I know of,” Schneider said. “That night Neal discovered it when he was sorting the kettles for the bank deposit.”

Neal Clayton, Christmas campaign coordinator, said as soon as he saw the gold coin in it’s plastic sleeve he was pretty sure he had

the real thing.

“I was surprised and happy when I saw this,” Clayton said. “It seems this sort of thing happens in the larger cities a lot. It’s nice to know it can happen here, too.”

Schneider, whose collections are often the most lucrative for the organization, said there’s no magic in his kettle.

“It’s not magic. We come to expect miracles around the Salvation Army kettles every year,” he said. “These buckets belong to the Lord, and He takes care of His own.”

Schneider has put in more than 1,000 volunteer hours as a bell ringer in the past four years. That’s more than any other bell ringer in the Columbus area.

“I really get more out of this than I bring to it,” he said. “It’s a way I can serve the Lord. I’ve been around the Salvation Army my whole life, and now that I’m retired this is a way I can give back to a great organization.”

There is a Salvation Army myth surrounding the gold coins that are showing up with more frequency across the United States.

The first was found in a bucket in the Chicago area in 1982. The legend says a World War II veteran started the tradition as a means of showing his gratitude for the Salvation Army’s front line service during the war. After he died the legend says his children or others have kept the tradition of donating Krugerrands alive during the holiday bucket drives.

During this year’s Christmas campaign other gold coins have turned up in Omaha and Sioux City.

“There is no way to know if the Krugerrands are part of a family tradition or if the practice has become a contagious act of kindness,” said Salvation Army Capt. Alex Velasquez. “Either way it shows that one person’s action can go very far in helping others and inspiring others to be a blessing, too.”

One inspired act of kindness that has come with the discovery of gold in Schneider’s kettle is being offered by Craig Stephan, owner of Kelly Jewelry Company Inc.

Stephan has received the coin from Velasquez and will broker it at no charge on behalf of the charity.

“What we’ll do is send it to the refiners, which is a company that buys gold coins and the Salvation Army will get the full value of the coin minus the small fee charged by the refiner,” Stephan said. “I think the Salvation Army is doing a great job and we are happy to help out with our part and not charge our regular handling fee.”

The local chapter of the Salvation Army began this year’s Christmas campaign with a goal of $49,000. Velasquez reported that giving in the campaign is down 6 percent locally. A 2-3 percent decline has been seen nationally according to an Omaha-based spokeswoman.

“Our bell ringers will be out until about 5 p.m. on Christmas eve,” Velasquez said. “We are still hoping and believing in a miracle that will meet our goal for the year.”

Velasquez said he has been working to make the Salvation Army more visible in the community, and the organization is doing it’s best to serve the less fortunate residents in the area.