Our Saturdays of partnering with the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle bell ringing are always special. Last Saturday was no different. Ten Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Farragut did more than just ring bells and wish one and all “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!”
The fun continues this Saturday (Dec. 22) when 10 more Rotarians work around the kettle at the Farragut Kroger Marketplace, 189 Brooklawn St., from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Drop by and say hello!
Last Saturday turned into an all-day concert at Kroger. It was a wee bit rainy and drizzly with a chilly nip in the air, but shoppers and their kids were digging deep into their pockets to put their bills and coins into the kettle. And our hearty team did a superb job all day. The kettle was packed at the end of the day.
Our Red Kettle project leader, Mike Singletary, pulled out his fiddle to entertain one and all, and the next thing we knew, up popped a shopper who wanted to have a turn with Mike’s fiddle.
“This lovely lady stopped by while Chris Camp, Mike and I were ringing the bells this afternoon,” said Rotarian Jim O’Brien. “She played very well … and then made a nice donation. She was the real deal with that fiddle.”
Indeed, she is the real deal. The guest player was none other than Kimberly Simpkins, who is a violin and viola instructor at Bill Jones Music and plays both instruments for the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra and the Knoxville Symphony. We posted the picture you see above on the club’s Facebook page and Kimberly saw it. “That’s me!” she wrote. “It was fun to meet you all and play that lovely violin! Merry Christmas!” She put on quite a show.
When little children put money in the kettle, Past President Chris Camp would allow them to ring the bell – while their parents took their photos.
At one point in the afternoon, an elderly woman who walked very slowly, using a cane, came out of Kroger carrying several plastic bags in her left hand. Being a good Rotarian, Singletary put down his violin and offered to help her to her car. She politely declined his offer. Then, about five minutes later, she drove up to where we were and offered a $5 donation in honor of “the nice man who offered to help me.”
Those special moments always seem to happen.
Our first bell ringers of the day were a foursome – Mary Ann Imgram, Past President David Smoak and the Smoak twins, Evan and Olivia, who are now 7. Later came the brother-in-law team of Strummin’ Tom Marsh and Ben Harkins. Tom brought along his guitar and was serenading anyone who would listen.
And Marsh passed along a nice little story, too. “We had a man who made a donation and when he did it he dropped a $20 bill on the sidewalk and didn’t know it,” Marsh said. “I pointed it out to him and he picked it up and stuffed it in the kettle.”
The Christmas spirit of helping others was alive and well – yet again.
On Saturday the husband-wife team of Rotarian Teri Jo Fox and Eric Whitener will get the day started at Kroger. Here is our schedule for Saturday’s teams:
10 a.m.: Teri Jo Fox & Eric Whitener
12 p.m.: Nancy Welch & Tom King
2 p.m.: Amanda DeBord & Mike Singletary
4 p.m.: Rev. David Bluford & Wayne Davis
6 p.m.: Paul & Judy Sehgal
If you’re interested in exploring membership in Farragut Rotary, drop me an email. We meet at 12:15 p.m. each Wednesday at Fox Den Country Club.