The Salvation Army announced they received four gold coins worth nearly $3,000 in different kettles on Friday in McHenry County.
The four coins, worth almost $3,000 in total, will make a “significant impact in a year of unprecedented need,” a spokesperson for the Salvation Army said.
The coins were discovered by bell ringers in Huntley and Crystal Lake.
A 1-ounce gold South African Krugerrand, worth an estimated $2,000, was dropped into a kettle outside the Jewel-Osco, located at 13200 Village Green Drive in Huntley, on Friday.
Three other gold coins were dropped in a kettle outside the Jewel-Osco located at 6140 Northwest Highway in Crystal Lake on the same day as the Huntley location.
The three coins included a 1/10 ounce Australian gold nugget worth an estimated $225, a 1/10 ounce 2013 American Gold Eagle coin worth an estimated $230, and a 1/10 ounce $5 Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coin worth an estimated $230.
“Seeing the gold coins in the kettles brings an excitement to the season as well as a sense of honor in knowing people in our community trust The Salvation Army to support their neighbors who are struggling,” said Major Barbara Owen, corps officer for The Salvation Army of McHenry County.
“The kindness of these benefactors helps to put food on the table and keep the lights on for our neighbors in need,” Owen said.
A 1-ounce fine gold bar was dropped into a kettle outside a Mundelein Jewel-Osco, located at 1150 West Maple Avenue, on November 28. The donation is worth an estimated $1,800 to 1,900.
The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign dates back to 1891 in San Francisco.
Gold and silver coins donated to The Salvation Army Red Kettles have become a much anticipated holiday tradition of giving throughout Chicagoland, The Salvation Army said.
The Salvation Army launched a Rescue Christmas campaign nearly two months early in 2020 to meet a significant increase in need.
Some Salvation Army locations in Chicagoland have seen as much as a fivefold increase in requests for food and emergency assistance since the start of the pandemic.
All money donated to the Red Kettles stays local. Donations, including the valuable gold coins, help fund programming year-round.
For more information on The Salvation Army’s Rescue Christmas campaign, visit www.salarmychristmas.org.