Clink Of $2,400 In Gold Coins Rings In Fargo-Moorhead Red Kettles
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - The clink when they hit the bottom of the Salvation Army's red kettles sounds like any other coin.
But the two 1-ounce gold coins that an anonymous benefactor has dropped into the charity's donation pots are worth a combined $2,400.
It's the 12th consecutive year someone has gifted gold coins in the Fargo-Moorhead area during its holiday season bell-ringing campaign.
The donor likes to wrap the gold coins in bills to mask their numismatic identity. At the end of the day, the contribution counters discover the plastic-wrapped treasures.
This year, the first coin was given on Dec. 3 at the Hornbacher's Northport location in Fargo. The next day, the Salvation Army found a second coin at the Hornbacher's in Moorhead.
"Having two gold coins come in within two days has raised the excitement in this Red Kettle Campaign and helped give us a boost to our goal," said Major Byron Medlock, a Fargo Salvation Army administrator, in a statement.
Volunteer bell ringers typically bring in about $30 per hour to benefit the Salvation Army.