Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Thrivent "Lutheran" Does Bang Up Job Supporting The Salvation Army

This tiger mom accepted her piggy children
when they wore tiger stripes.
Syn Conference Lutherans wear camouflage too.


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Thrivent Financial Red Kettle Match Day Challenge generates $325,000

Single-day effort surpasses $125,000 challenge; Maintains national record set in 2008


APPLETON, Wis. (Dec. 7, 2010) – For the third straight year, Appleton maintained the national record for the largest single-day matching donation to The Salvation Army with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ Red Kettle Match Day Challenge Dec. 3.

The Fox Cities community raised $200,157.22 last Friday, and when combined with Thrivent Financial’s $125,000 it raises the total to 325,157.22. In its seventh year, the Thrivent Financial Red Kettle Match Day has generated over $1.6 million in total.

“The spirit of giving abounds in the Fox Cities,” said Peter Gianopoulos, senior adviser of business risk management. “The outpouring of generosity from this community that is displayed year after year at the Red Kettles is remarkable. Donors and volunteers from the Fox Cities community and Thrivent Financial have shown they know the true meaning of Christmas: to give to others.”

100 percent of bell ringing shifts filled!
On Dec. 3, all 50 kettle sites in the Fox Cities were scheduled to have a volunteer bell ringer for each shift. Thrivent Financial employees, members and financial representatives were among those volunteering to ring bells in the community.

This was also the fifth year for the Thrivent Financial Red Kettle Idol contest. “Red Kettle Idol” is a friendly, festive competition for Thrivent Financial employees to help trigger donors to drop a few more coins and bills into the red kettle.

This year, competition was fierce among groups contesting in Red Kettle Idol. This year’s winning roup is “Welcome Christmas.” About 20 Thrivent Financial employees dressed as characters from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” going all out with hand-painted signs, rehearsed Red Kettle Match Day songs, and even some choreography. Other notable groups included a band of 80s rockers, Alvin and the Chipmunks and a team dressed as U.S. Presidents who did a patriotic boogie to drive up donations.

About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the Christian church. As a faith based organization, The Salvation Army also provides physical aid such as food, clothing and shelter, in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. Nearly 29 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. About 83 cents of every dollar raised is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. The Salvation Army - Fox Cities has been located in Appleton since 1917. They serve the Fox Valley area in Neenah, Menasha, Kimberly, Kaukauna, Combined Locks, Larsen, Grand Chute, Little Chute, Appleton and Darboy. The Salvation Army - Fox Cites is not a participating United Way agency. For more information visit us on the web at safoxcities.org.

About Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a not-for-profit, Fortune 500 financial services membership organization helping approximately 2.6 million members achieve financial security and give back to their communities. Thrivent Financial and its affiliates offer a broad range of financial products and services including life insurance, annuities, mutual funds, disability income insurance, bank products and more. As a not-for-profit organization, Thrivent Financial creates and supports national outreach programs and activities that help congregations, schools, charitable organizations and individuals in need. For more information, visit Thrivent.com. Also, you can find us on Facebook and Twitter.