Union members step in to ring the bells in St. Clair County

By CARL GREEN
Illinois Correspondent

Belleville, IL – More than 150 union volunteers turned out on Dec. 8 for Union Bell Ringing Day at locations in Belleville, East St. Louis, Fairview Heights, Shiloh and Swansea, in St. Clair County, raising $8,138 for the Salvation Army.

The volunteers rang bells at 17 kettles from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The total includes the amount of money the Salvation Army didn’t have to pay for bellringers that day, $3,747, plus $4,391 in cash from the kettles.

Terry Knoth, Labor representative for United Way, thanked the volunteers. “It was a pretty cold day, but at least we did not have any snow or icy conditions,” he said. “Everyone did a fabulous job again this year.”

Laborers Local 100, with four kettles, led the friendly competition among locals by taking in $1,096. Second was Laborers Local 459, with $1,007 with four kettles. Cement Masons & Plasterers Local 90 was third with $507 from two kettles.

“Congratulations to those groups for bragging rights for another year,” Knoth said.