TREE OF LIGHTS FUND-RAISER EXTENDED UNTIL END OF YEAR

The Salvation Army's Tree of Lights campaign will be extended to the end of the year, assuming Christmas Eve totals don't push the annual fund-raising effort over its $100,000 goal.

Salvation Army Capt. Elmer Trapp said that as of Monday the campaign had raised $90,000. "We won't really know an accurate picture of what was collected Tuesday and what might still come in the mail until later this week," said Trapp.

"If we don't reach the $100,000 goal, we will continue the campaign through the end of the year."

Trapp said he is confident the money will arrive. About two-thirds of the Tree of Lights contributions come through a direct-mail appeal; the other one-third is collected through the familiar red kettles.

"We have a lot of donations that come in the days after Christmas," he said. "For whatever reason, a lot of people wait until the last days to give."

Giving at the kettles during the last Christmas shopping days "became very intense," Trapp said.

"There were times Christmas Eve that people were waiting in line to give."

Trapp said when he was ringing the bell at a kettle earlier this week several people made a point to tell him they had received assistance from the Salvation Army over the course of the past year.

"These people were giving money at the kettle. They came to us one time. We were able to help them, and now they are back on their feet."

The fund-raising campaign has been a challenge this year, Trapp said.

As of Dec. 17, the Army had collected $67,000, putting it well behind the pace needed to raise $100,000.

"Then within a week, we raised $23,000," Trapp said. "That is awesome."

The goal this year is an increase of about 23 percent over last year's Tree of Lights goal of $80,000, Trapp said.

"That's a pretty good challenge," he said. "I'm optimistic that this area is going to meet that challenge."

"This area is just a giving area," Trapp said. "If it's a project where people can see their money put to work and see evidence of what the money can do, they will give."

In return, Trapp said, donors also keep close watch over the Salvation Army to make sure the money is being used properly. "I think that's great. People tell me, `I hold you responsible for our contributions to make sure the money is going to be put to good use.'"

Money raised through the Tree of Lights campaign is used at Christmas to assist needy families. The money is also used throughout the year to fund many Salvation Army activities.

On Tuesday the Salvation Army distributed approximately 2,000 Christmas baskets to needy families, slightly higher than the number expected.

"As a result," Trapp said, "we will probably exceed the 3,300 people that we expected to serve this Christmas."

For more information about the fund-raising campaign, call the Salvation Army at 335-7000.