13 Gold Coins, Bars Worth $11K Left In Salvation Army Red Kettles

CHICAGO AREA, IL — The Salvation Army, like many non-profit organizations across Chicagoland, are in need of more donations this holiday season. In recent weeks, generous donors stepped up to give back, leaving 13 coins or gold bars in red kettles across the Chicago area, including in kettles outside locations in Chicago, Round Lake, Naperville, Crystal Lake, Huntley, Bartlett and Mundelein.

Donations left so far total about $11,200. The most recent, five gold coins left in red kettles in Round Lake, totaled about $3,000. Meanwhile, donations left in a kettle outside Walmart, 2680 N. Illinois Route 83, on Saturday included a one-ounce American Gold Eagle coin worth an estimated $1,800 and four 1/10-ounce gold Mercury Dime coins valued at $775

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“We’re so grateful to our donor,” said Captain Daniel Paredes, corps officer for The Salvation Army of Lake County. “This person has a huge heart. They are able to help so many families with just a few coins.”

In McHenry County, four coins valued at almost $3,000 total were dropped into kettles in Huntley and Crystal Lake on Friday. Those donations include:

• A one-ounce gold South African Krugerrand, worth an estimated $2,000, dropped into a kettle outside Jewel-Osco, 13200 Village Green Drive in Huntley.
• Three other coins left in a kettle outside the Jewel-Osco at 6140 Northwest Highway in Crystal Lake. Those coins include a 1/10-ounce Australian gold nugget worth $225; a 1/10-ounce 2013 American Gold Eagle coin worth an estimated $230; and a 1/10-ounce $5 Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coin worth an estimated $230.

On Thursday, a one-ounce gold South African Krugerrand coin valued at $1,790, was left in a Red Kettle outside Casey's Food in Naperville. Also on Thursday, a 1919 20 Franc Swiss coin, worth an estimated $350, was dropped into a kettle outside the Jewel-Osco on Broadway in Chicago.

About a week earlier, the first gold donations of the holiday season in the Chicago area were left in red kettles in Bartlett and Mundelein. Both were dropped into kettles on Nov. 28 and include:

• A 1-ounce 2005 $50 American Gold Eagle coin dropped into a kettle outside the Jewel-Osco, 125 E. Stearns Road, Bartlett. The donation, worth between $1,800 and $1,900, will be given to the Salvation Army Tri-Corps Community Center in St. Charles.
• A 1-ounce fine gold bar dropped into a kettle outside the Jewel-Osco at 1150 W. Maple Ave. in Mundelein. The donation, worth an estimated $1,800 to 1,900, will help fund programs and services at The Salvation Army Waukegan Corps.

“Seeing the gold coins in the kettles brings an excitement to the season as well as a sense of
honor in knowing people in our community trust The Salvation Army to support their neighbors
who are struggling,” said Barbara Owen, a corps officer for The Salvation Army of
McHenry County. “The kindness of these benefactors helps to put food on the table and keep
the lights on for our neighbors in need.”

Gold and silver coins donated to The Salvation Army's Red Kettles have become a much-anticipated holiday tradition of giving throughout Chicagoland. The red kettle campaign dates back to 1891 in San Francisco.

With many more needing assistance amid this year's pandemic, the Salvation Army launched the Rescue Christmas campaign nearly two months early in 2020. Some Salvation Army locations in Chicagoland have seen as much as five times the typical requests for food and emergency assistance since the start of the pandemic.

All money donated to the Red Kettles stays local, and donations, including the valuable gold coins,
help fund programming year-round, according to the organization. For more information on The Salvation Army’s Rescue Christmas campaign, visitwww.salarmychristmas.org.