Bell-ringers aim to break national record
http://dervishcom.blogspot.com/2011/12/bell-ringers-aim-to-break-national.html
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. -- The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are some of the busiest and most stressful times, even during the best of years.
But with the nation's economy still limping along , this holiday season -- normally a time when regular people give till it hurts -- will find many charities far from setting any records when it comes to monetary donations.
Or will it?
Enter Sean Kelsey.
For the past three weeks, this 45-year-old lieutenant with the Cathedral City Salvation Army branch has put himself through a strenuous training regimen.
He has stayed on his feet as much as he could -- even standing while he types. He has skipped lunch for the past 12 days and given his bell-ringing arm a workout while logging scores of hours manning Salvation Army red kettles across the Coachella Valley that lacked a smiling face and a constant companion.
Kelsey says he aims to raise as much money as he can for the Salvation Army's annual Red Kettle Campaign, but he's also looking to set a national record.
Beginning 9 a.m. PST Thursday, he will compete against 26 other Salvation Army representatives across the nation to set a record for most consecutive hours spent ringing a bell for the Red Kettle campaign.
His self-discipline has had some positive results. He says he's increased his endurance and lost five pounds.
He's also perfected a more energy efficient bell-ringing technique that employs isolated wrist movements nstead of the full-arm swings he used to favor.
"I'm 45 years old, so hopefully the body is still in the good shape I think it is," Kelsey says. "I'm going to go for as long as I can."
He says his friends call him "dedicated." But his wife calls him "crazy."
Kelsey has set a personal goal of 42 hours, which would surpass the previous record of 36 hours set last year by Salvation Army Capt. Kyle Smith in Spokane, Wash
.
Before this endeavor, the longest time Kelsey had spent consecutively ringing a bell was eight hours, two years ago in Pasadena.
The daytime hours may not be so bad, even if the temperature only reaches into the 60s. However, the nights may be a different story.
He may have to endure lows into the 40s, AccuWeather meteorologist Brian Edwards said Friday.
Kelsey says he'll dress warmly and wear earplugs to block the endless ringing sound.
He'll stand on a floor mat and wear comfy shoes to protect his feet.
And as for the restroom, he'll will himself to hold it.
Per the rules, participants will take a break every four hours. They can consume only liquids.
In addition, they must ring their bells even when using the restroom -- an obstacle Kelsey says he'll overcome by attaching bells to his clothes.
He says he's determined to endure the strict rules and weather conditions if it means securing bragging rights and, most importantly, at least $7,000 in donations.
The local Salvation Army is down $100,000 in donations this year, he adds.
This funding deficit hasn't led to the elimination of any programs, but it's meant a greater reliance on local volunteers and less-expensive materials.
Normally, the agency would have purchased the food itself for its annual Thanksgiving dinner.
Instead, most of the fixings were donated, including 60 pies that came from one person.
"Social service agencies -- pressed for more services by more people due to the financial climate -- are struggling to keep up with an ever-growing demand for essential help with food, housing, utilities, clothing, and medical attention," said Renata Rafferty, an Indiana-based philanthropy expert who used to live in the Coachella Valley.
"Now more than ever, it's important for front-line organizations like the Salvation Army to remind the public of exactly what they do and the critical services they provide for our own neighbors."
The need for donations sparked this week's competition, Smith, the current record holder, said Friday.
He says he remembers beginning his record-setting effort on an 18-degree morning and feeling miserable by the time he finished 36 hours later.
"I was exhausted," he says. "I just had enough. I didn't want to do it anymore."
In Spokane, Smith says the temperatures have recently dropped into the 20s and his wife doesn't want him to participate this year.
Nevertheless, he's joining the competition.
Smith relied on layers of clothing and a heating lamp last year.
"But the thing that kept me going was people who just kept coming to talk to me," he says.
But with the nation's economy still limping along , this holiday season -- normally a time when regular people give till it hurts -- will find many charities far from setting any records when it comes to monetary donations.
Or will it?
Enter Sean Kelsey.
For the past three weeks, this 45-year-old lieutenant with the Cathedral City Salvation Army branch has put himself through a strenuous training regimen.
He has stayed on his feet as much as he could -- even standing while he types. He has skipped lunch for the past 12 days and given his bell-ringing arm a workout while logging scores of hours manning Salvation Army red kettles across the Coachella Valley that lacked a smiling face and a constant companion.
Kelsey says he aims to raise as much money as he can for the Salvation Army's annual Red Kettle Campaign, but he's also looking to set a national record.
Beginning 9 a.m. PST Thursday, he will compete against 26 other Salvation Army representatives across the nation to set a record for most consecutive hours spent ringing a bell for the Red Kettle campaign.
His self-discipline has had some positive results. He says he's increased his endurance and lost five pounds.
He's also perfected a more energy efficient bell-ringing technique that employs isolated wrist movements nstead of the full-arm swings he used to favor.
"I'm 45 years old, so hopefully the body is still in the good shape I think it is," Kelsey says. "I'm going to go for as long as I can."
He says his friends call him "dedicated." But his wife calls him "crazy."
Kelsey has set a personal goal of 42 hours, which would surpass the previous record of 36 hours set last year by Salvation Army Capt. Kyle Smith in Spokane, Wash
.
Before this endeavor, the longest time Kelsey had spent consecutively ringing a bell was eight hours, two years ago in Pasadena.
The daytime hours may not be so bad, even if the temperature only reaches into the 60s. However, the nights may be a different story.
He may have to endure lows into the 40s, AccuWeather meteorologist Brian Edwards said Friday.
Kelsey says he'll dress warmly and wear earplugs to block the endless ringing sound.
He'll stand on a floor mat and wear comfy shoes to protect his feet.
And as for the restroom, he'll will himself to hold it.
Per the rules, participants will take a break every four hours. They can consume only liquids.
In addition, they must ring their bells even when using the restroom -- an obstacle Kelsey says he'll overcome by attaching bells to his clothes.
He says he's determined to endure the strict rules and weather conditions if it means securing bragging rights and, most importantly, at least $7,000 in donations.
The local Salvation Army is down $100,000 in donations this year, he adds.
This funding deficit hasn't led to the elimination of any programs, but it's meant a greater reliance on local volunteers and less-expensive materials.
Normally, the agency would have purchased the food itself for its annual Thanksgiving dinner.
Instead, most of the fixings were donated, including 60 pies that came from one person.
"Social service agencies -- pressed for more services by more people due to the financial climate -- are struggling to keep up with an ever-growing demand for essential help with food, housing, utilities, clothing, and medical attention," said Renata Rafferty, an Indiana-based philanthropy expert who used to live in the Coachella Valley.
"Now more than ever, it's important for front-line organizations like the Salvation Army to remind the public of exactly what they do and the critical services they provide for our own neighbors."
The need for donations sparked this week's competition, Smith, the current record holder, said Friday.
He says he remembers beginning his record-setting effort on an 18-degree morning and feeling miserable by the time he finished 36 hours later.
"I was exhausted," he says. "I just had enough. I didn't want to do it anymore."
In Spokane, Smith says the temperatures have recently dropped into the 20s and his wife doesn't want him to participate this year.
Nevertheless, he's joining the competition.
Smith relied on layers of clothing and a heating lamp last year.
"But the thing that kept me going was people who just kept coming to talk to me," he says.
