Tuesday, the “Message of the Day” was underweight Santa P.J. Studley, who has been ringing his bell for the Salvation Army for 15 years in front of Dollar Video in Crystal Lake.

Wednesday, the Crystal Lake Kiwanis Club heard from Salvation Army Captain David Werner and his new development director Linda Hunter.

They premiered the 8-minute video produced by Harold Rail of Woodstock’s Afterglow Creative Service.

When asked if any gold coins had shown up yet, he replied in the negative, but did have news of four rings having been dropped into a Crystal Lake kettle.

Two were wedding bands, another was a diamond solitaire and the fourth was a ring with an emerald.

Afterwards, I told Captain Warner how I had featured the Dollar Video Santa on McHenry County Blog. He told me how each bell ringer who has a gold coin dropped in his or her kettle gets a medallion.

And, so does the owner of the location kind enough to allow the Salvation Army to collect money to fund its local programs. (There are six locations were services are provided throughout McHenry County.)

So, I drove over to Dollar Video and got these pictures of the front and back of the medallion

There is still time to volunteer to ring bells for this eminently worthy cause. The number to call is 815-455-2769.
Sa