Local Salvation Army officials are optimistic about this year’s Red Kettle Campaign.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a creative approach that is aimed at boosting the effort.

Captain Keith Jache is planning a 24-hour challenge.

He’ll be bell-ringing at a Walmart entrance starting at 7 a.m. on Dec. 23 until the store closes and will pick it up when the store reopens.

A page has been set up for online donations as part of this initiative – salvationarmywpa.org/warren24.

“Our Red Kettle Campaign is going very well this year,” Jache said. “Because of COVID we were unable to have our booth at the Warren County Fair and will not be able to hold our Polar Bear Plunge in January, so we must raise additional funding that would otherwise have come from those events totaling an additional $20,000.”

That’s where the 24 hour challenge fits into the equation.

And Jache is optimistic it’ll cover that difference.

“The community has been so generous this far,” he said, “and we are anticipating that with the 24-hour kettle challenge on December 23-24 at Walmart that we will meet or even exceed what we will need for this year.”

The pandemic has made the need even greater that it might be in a “normal” year.

“We are seeing an exponential increase in need for meals and food, as well as assistance with utilities,” Jache said.

In addition to the kettles and online donations, he said donations can be sent to the Salvation Army by mail.

“We always welcome assistance with non-perishable food items,” he added.