Massachusetts donors have been dropping all kinds of jewelry into Salvation Army kettles
Another wave of donations with sentimental value.
An anonymous donor dropped a diamond ring into North Station’s Salvation Army donation kettle early this month the same location where last year’swave of jewelry donations began—with a note that read:
“Dear Salvation Army,
I donate this diamond ring and gold wedding band in memory of a loving fiancé and in remembrance of all those who grieve, that they may have hope.
Merry Christmas,
Happy Holidays,
Happy New Year!!
Anonymous, with love’’
The trend of jewelry-as-donations took off in Massachusetts last December after an anonymous widow dropped her wedding and diamond engagement rings into a kettle outside the same station, spurring a movement that raised more than $30,000 for the Salvation Army in a matter of weeks.
Earlier this month, two rings were dropped into a local Salvation Army kettle in Billerica. Five more jewelry donations have since been made all across Massachusetts, presumably inspired by last year’s gift, despite overall Red Kettle donations being down about 14 percent compared to this time last year.
Within the past week, the Lynn Salvation Army Corps received two separate donations in the same kettle, at least one of which was directly inspired by last year’s story. An anonymous donor dropped in a vintage watch, and a woman handed a Salvation Army volunteer a box containing a pendant and ring, both of diamond, emerald, and gold. The emerald jewelry had a combined value of $900, and came with a handwritten note that asked the donation to go toward those struggling with addiction.
The watch and the emerald jewelry.
“Inspired by the story of the widow who donated her diamond ring last year…’’ the note also said.
Three more unique donations popped up across the state: an engagement ring in a Framingham kettle, a wedding band in East Boston, and multiple silver dollars from the late 1800s (each one valued from $12 to $20) in kettles in Woburn, Salem, and Lowell. Each silver dollar had a note saying, “In memory of mom.’’
The Framingham rings and the silver dollars.
Though not all of these recent donations had explanatory notes, Divisional Commander of the Massachusetts Salvation Army Major David B. Davis saw a connection.
“It’s clear that here in Massachusetts, generosity is contagious,’’ he said in a statement, “and we’re overjoyed to see this phenomenon spreading throughout the Commonwealth.’’
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