The start of the holiday season means the familiar ringing of bells that comes with the annual Red Kettle Campaign through the Salvation Army. This year, you can include the Charles H. Bohlen, Jr. Technical Center as one of the locations where the ringing will be heard.
The Bohlen Technical Center SkillsUSA Chapter is teaming up with the Salvation Army to assist in this year’s fundraising campaign. A red kettle will be located in the front foyer of the technical center from November 15 through December 22. Seniors and juniors from SkillsUSA will be volunteering to ring the bell during arrival and dismissal times in the morning and afternoon. Students and faculty will be able to give loose change to the kettle, with the proceeds donated to the Salvation Army.
SkillsUSA students will also be taking part in the campaign’s “So You Think You Can Ring” community event that will take place on Saturday, December 9, 2017 at the Salmon Run Mall in Watertown. Student volunteers from each of the Career and Technical Education classes at Bohlen Tech. will be at the red kettle in the mall from 10 am-11 am, ringing the bell for donations. The event will be broadcast live on Facebook. The SkillsUSA chapter will also be competing with other businesses and community organizations taking part in the event. The organization/businesses that raise the most money during their allotted hour time slot that day will get a trophy.
The Red Kettle campaign isn’t the only community event that the Bohlen Technical Center SkillsUSA Chapter is partaking in this holiday season. In honor of Veteran’s Day, a food drive will be taking place at the technical center through January 26, 2018. Non-perishable food and hygiene items will be collected and put on display in the front foyer. All of the items will stay local in the Watertown area through a donation with Feed Our Vets.