Mysterious gold coin donation found in Salvation Army kettle in time for holidays

Twinkling lights. Pine garlands. Visits with Santa. Just a few of the iconic images that mark the holiday season. And of course, the Salvation Army bell ringers with their trademark red kettles must be added to the list of things that mark the holidays.

Patrons have always been known to be generous with few dollars here and some spare change there. But this year, the Mat-Su Salvation Army received a very special piece of change.

“While counting one of our red kettles today, we discovered a gold Krugerrand,” said a very excite Major Kevin Bottjen, Corps Officer and Emergency Disaster Services Officer for the Mat-Su Valley Salvation Army.

This is the 6th year in a row that the Salvation Army has received the gold coin. The Krugerrand is a South American coin, first minted in 1967 to help market South African gold, so for 6 of them to make their way to Alaska is remarkable. And also remarkable is the mystery donor.

“We don’t know who the donor is. We assume it’s the same person,” says Major Dottjen, who recounts the first time they received the coin.

“It was wrapped up with a note saying that it was done in memory of someone who had passed. What an amazing way to remember someone they love, with such a generous donation like that.”

Much like “Elf on the Shelf,” the mysterious coin drop appears in different kettles every year, from different 3 Bears locations in the past to this year’s discovery, which was made while tallying up donations from the red kettle at the Fred Meyers in Wasilla, wrapped in a dollar bill.

The 1 ounce gold coin can fetch anywhere from $1500 to over $1800, depending on the market value.

While the coin appeared a little later than in previous years, perhaps due to the amazing snowfall the Borough has experienced, the donation could not come at a better time for the Salvation Army as inflation challenges have decreased while the need has increased.

“During COVID, we would assist 30 to 50 families a month. Now, we are seeing more than 30 families a week. The need has definitely increased,” says Major Dottjen. He also notes that the kettle donations have been down about 60% since COVID.

“It means we can’t do as much as we’d like, because we need money to do what we do.”

Other challenges for the Salvation Army? Getting volunteers to man the red kettles. And installing a sprinkler system into the emergency warming center, which has been shuttered because there is no sprinkler system installed at the facility.

In separate Salvation Army news, Major Dottjen presented a trophy to the winner of the first annual Mayoral Ring-Off. The fundraiser involved the mayors from the cities of Palmer and Wasilla, along with the Mat-Su Borough Mayor.

The mayors each manned a red kettle within their areas of service and the mayor who raised the most was named the winner. For the inaugrial event, Wasilla Mayor Glenda Ledford led the fundraiser, raising $1702, while Mat-Su Borough Mayor Edna DeVries raised roughly $900 and Palmer Mayor Steve Carrington raised $502. All told, the Ring-Off brought in over $2705.00 for the Salvation Army.

And while the Christmas season winds down and the bell ringers will stow their bells for the season, Major Dotten wants to pass along this reminder:

“Need knows no season. The red kettles and bell ringers will be forgotten after Christmas, but help is needed year-round. With the challenges people are facing with the economy, the need is greater than ever, and families still need help.”

For more information about the Mat-Su Valley Salvation Army, or for those wishing to donate online, visit www.mat-suvalley.salvationarmy.org or the Salvation Army Mat-Su Valley Corps Facebook page.