$1,200 gold coin donation will help Rock Hill Salvation Army ‘fight the good fight’
The Salvation Army chapter in Rock Hill is thanking an anonymous donor who helped spread holiday cheer with a single coin.
A one-ounce gold coin was dropped into a Salvation Army Red Kettle during a fundraising drive at a Tega Cay Walmart store, said Lt. Mike McGee, a corps officers for the Salvation Army of Rock Hill.
The coin is a 1980 South African Krugerrand, according to McGee. It’s worth $1,201, according to an appraisal made Wednesday at the Brownlee Jewelers store off Dave Lyle Boulevard in Rock Hill.
While gold coins have been dropped in Salvation Army kettles around the nation this year, this is the first one reported in the Carolinas, McGee said.
“We would like to say thank you to the donor who dropped the gold coin into the kettle,” McGee said. “Your generosity helps us fight for good in our community all year. God bless you.”
The coin will likely be sold to a jeweler’s store, and all proceeds will go to fund Salvation Army initiatives. They include providing Christmas to local families, year-round programming and other social services.
McGee said that a typical Red Kettle fundraiser can raise around $300 a day, depending on the location. The $1,200 coin helps account for around three to four days worth of fundraising in one fell swoop, he said.
In 2016, the Rock Hill Salvation Army served more than 3,600 York, Chester, and Lancaster county residents with money raised from the red kettles.
The money also helped pay for 6,800 food boxes in its food pantry program and more than 1,400 nights of shelter for homeless women and families at the Rock Hill Salvation Army shelter on Charlotte Avenue.
“It’s unique to have this happen in our York County service area,” McGee said.
McGee said every penny donated to the fundraising efforts helps meet needs in York, Chester and Lancaster counties. The Red Kettle campaign officially ends Dec. 23.
David Thackham: 803-329-4066, @dthackham
This story was originally published December 7, 2017 at 7:39 AM with the headline "$1,200 gold coin donation will help Rock Hill Salvation Army ‘fight the good fight’."