Typical Winter morning: A light frost decorates the lawn, the sun glistening off the christened snow, perhaps a few neighborhood kids out building a snowman or sledding on the hill. All this picturesque morning is missing is the sound of bells. Happy to contribute to the holiday spirit were some Interact and National Honor Society members partaking in the annual bell ringing campaign.

Ring the Bell is a charity associated with the Salvation Army, an organization dedicated to helping humankind worldwide by making a positive difference in their lives. This year the Cannon Falls National Honor Society raised a whopping $844, passing the $550 donation made from last year. “I really think the music helped a lot,” says NHS President, Grant Schlichting, “I brought out a speaker, we had the bells, some people were banging with drumsticks on some five gallon buckets, and we also had a guitar and a ukulele. It seemed people were more paying for us to shut up but it was a lot of fun.” Ring the Bell specifically focuses on donations, bringing joy to passerbys in exchange for their pocket-money, a small token to help people in need. At the High Quality Bakery, many donations were cherished, along with two very generous gifts. One individual placed a $100 into the donation bucket, and a family of an NHS student donated a very large check. “We would just like to give a lot of thanks to those people because that is a lot of money and will do a lot of good in the world,” Schlichting gratefully stated.

A light snowfall, trees covered in a white blanket and while some people are cozy in one of their own, others put themselves out there to make a difference. It’s never too late for anyone to take part in this activity, however. All it takes is a little hard work and Christmas Spirit to reach out to an organization near you. Enjoy the holidays and make sure others can too.