You Won’t Believe the Most Unique Items Ever Found in Rochester’s Red Kettles

We are in the final days before Christmas, which means...the stores are going to be packed!  The experts are guessing that about 158.9 million people in the United States will be shopping on Saturday, December 20th.

As you are crossing off those shopping lists and preparing for the holiday, there is a really good chance that you'll walk right by one of the red kettles for The Salvation Army.  What you may not know is that there are some pretty unique items that have been left in those kettles.  Rochester also has 7 kettles that are not like the others.  Keep reading...I'll fill you in on both of these fun facts.

READ MORE: Easy Step-by-Step Guide On How To Sign Up To Ring Bells For The Salvation Army in Rochester

These 7 Red Kettles Are Not Like The Others in Rochester, Minnesota

If you haven't had the chance to meet Rebecca Snapp at The Salvation Army in Rochester, please do!  Not only is she just an amazing person but she has a wealth of knowledge about the Red Kettles in our area.

We had a little chat the other day and not only did she reveal the most unique items that have been found in the red kettles (which you can learn about below), but I found out that we have 7 kettles that are not like the others in the Med City.

You may have noticed this last year, but mobile pay is now an option to help out at the red kettles.  You just tap to give.  The option to pay by mobile is available at these 7 different red kettles:

• Hy-Vee Barlow
• Hy-Vee Crossroads
• Hy-Vee on 37th Street
• Hy-Vee on West Circle (2 red kettles at this location)
• T.J. Maxx
• Fleet Farm

If you are one of the 51% of people who finished their Christmas shopping already, first of all...that is amazing!  Obviously, your chances of seeing a red kettle are slim since your shopping is done.  However, you CAN still donate to the red kettles online at The Salvation Army website.

The Most Unique Items Placed in the Red Kettles in Rochester, Minnesota

While cash is one of the most popular items placed in the red kettles, occasionally something else will get pushed into the red kettles around the Olmsted County area too.  Sometimes it is intentional but other times...probably not.

Rebecca Snapp from The Salvation Army in Rochester revealed that laundry coins, sobriety tokens, and other unique finds are almost always part of the red kettle season for the area.  One year though, a very unique item was found...not just once, but 5 times and placed in 5 different red kettles.

A few years ago, as the volunteers were going through the donations from the red kettles, excitement started to grow when a Krugerrand was found in one of the kettles.  A Krugerrand is a famous South African gold bullion coin.  It is 91.67% pure gold and its value is tied directly to the market price of gold.

As the night went on and volunteers kept sorting, a total of 5 Krugerrand's were found that were placed in 5 different red kettles.

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