To get into the holiday spirit, the Colonie and Guilderland chambers of commerce are going head to head in a Salvation Army Kettle Challenge to see who can raise the most money.
It’s a friendly competition, though, so don’t expect any trash talking between the two organizations.
We’re playing for pride here. That’s really what it boils down to, said Colonie Chamber of Commerce President Tom Nolte. `We know that the end goal is that we provided an opportunity for ourselves and our members to support a great organization. I hope this will be the first of many competitions with the chambers.`
The battle will be played out at Crossgates Mall and at the Colonie Center mall, where every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, town officials, local celebrities, businesses and families will act as bell ringers.
Nolte said the chamber was looking for ways to put a new spin on the fundraiser this holiday season, and Guilderland Chamber of Commerce President Kathy Burbank was very keen on the idea when he presented it to her.
`She was all for it,` Nolte said. `She saw that anything that came out of this competition would be for a worthwhile organization.`
Burbank said the competition highlights the bond and charitable quality that a town like Guilderland has when it comes to raising money.
`This is another great way to show how Guilderland pulls together to donate money,` she said.
Several organizations are signed up, such as Pop Warner, MBT Bank, and high school groups such as Future Business Leaders, Burbank said Friday, Dec. 10, as she was getting ready to don a Santa hat with her family to ring the bell at Crossgates.
Nolte said that because not everyone has the time to ring the bell for two to four hours, businesses can also host an online kettle, place a kettle in their office or just make direct contributions to either of the chambers.
The chambers’ bell-ringing challenge will actually save the Salvation Army money, Nolte said.
`In the past, the Army has had to use paid workers, but we’ve taken away the pay aspect and have members truly volunteering,` he said. `It’s saving $40,000 in costs.`
One volunteer, Jason Lecuyer from Berkshire Bank, said adding the element of a spirited competition brings an extra dimension of fun to doing some good for the community and help out other chamber members.
`You’ve got to look past the elements of spending two hours ringing bells and smiling at people,` he said. `I’m really excited to go there and do it.`
It doesn’t hurt that Lecuyer is a sports fan, where competition rules.
With the economy weighing heavily on people’s minds this time of year, Nolte said, now is the time to bring a little holiday cheer.
`People are facing an uncertain economy,` he said. `It’s nice that we’ve been given the opportunity and direction to do the right thing.`
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