PITTSBURGH (Newsradio 1020 KDKA) - The bell ringers are back at it this year.
The Salvation Army’s 129th annual red kettle fundraising campaign began for the holiday season on Friday.
This year, they’re getting a little “smarter.”
For the first time, bell ringers are accepting Google Pay and Apple Pay.
“You do it right there at the kettle. You just take your phone and open up Apple Pay,” Ava Henderson with the Salvation Army Western Pennsylvania Division told KDKA Radio. “You just bump your iPhone next to it or you can pay with Google Pay on your Android phone.”
Henderson told KDKA Radio that they decided to make the change since many holiday shoppers have stopped carrying cash.
“We’ve just become an increasingly cashless society, and we’ve seen that affect our red kettle fundraising during the holidays,” Henderson said. “So we’re really excited to launch it. It’s easy, convenient and safe.”
The Salvation Army’s goal this year is to raise $2.4 million dollars across Southwestern Pennsylvania before Christmas.
The money is used for toys, shelter, clothing, food and educational programs all year long.
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