Thief in Santa hat reportedly steals Salvation Army’s Red Kettle outside Bellingham store
The Salvation Army of Bellingham already faced a monumental task in 2021, as it is planning to deliver holiday toys to 900 children and meals to more than 400 families in Whatcom County this holiday season.
That’s nearly double the numbers the organization usually serves in the county, Lt. Chase Green told The Bellingham Herald.
“I think it’s a combination of things,” Green said. “Of course COVID is playing a role, but what we’re seeing with our food distribution is a major reason is the costs of living and grocery pricing keeps going up. Plus, a lot of our families this year are in the Everson and Sumas areas that were hit by the flooding.
“It’s just everything together that is making it a really tough year.”
But serving those in need became a bit tougher for the Salvation Army of Bellingham on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 7, when an unidentified man wearing a Santa hat reportedly threatened a volunteer bell ringer in a wheelchair outside the Lakeway Fred Meyer in Bellingham and stole the organization’s signature donation Red Kettles.
“It happened to one of the most dedicated, kindest bell ringers I have ever met,” Green told The Herald. “She was just doing her job, ringing away, same as she has for the last six years, when they came up, acted like they were going to put some money in, and then threatened her and told her to ‘back off or else.’
“Then they took the kettle, our stand and all the money inside and put it in their car and drove off.”
Green estimated the thief got away with approximately $800.
Fortunately, the volunteer bell ringer was not physically injured in the incident, Green said, though she was “absolutely traumatized and terrorized.” Though she is understandably taking time away from gathering donations, her bell ringing days are not over.
“Our bell ringer, she is such an amazing woman,” Green said. “She tells me all the time that she loves doing this for the children. She was one of those kids who got toys from the Salvation years and years ago. This is so important for her, and it’s just heartbreaking that it happened.”
A Grinch-like crime
Green said it is the first time a Salvation Army kettle has been robbed in Whatcom County, and “it happens pretty seldom elsewhere from what I’ve heard.”
The bell ringer did exactly what the Salvation Army of Bellingham tells volunteers to do if somebody does attempt to steal the money inside kettles placed around Whatcom County during the holiday season, Green said, as she backed off, let the man have the money and then went inside the store and the police were called.
“We always tell our bell ringers that we don’t want them to risk themselves — our No. 1 priority is our bell ringers’ safety,” Green said, adding that the organization gathered all bell ringers in the county after Tuesday’s incident and reminded them of that.
The thief was described as a white man, in his 20s and wearing a Santa hat and facemask, Lt. Claudia Murphy told the Bellingham Herald in an email, adding it “should have been a Grinch hat.”
He got into a champagne-colored four-door sedan and left, Murphy reported.
Officers were called at approximately 8:50 p.m. to the 1400 block of Humboldt Street, where a resident in the area found the Salvation Army Red Kettle, now empty, and officers impounded it for evidence, according to Murphy.
“There is no further information on the identity of the Grinch or of the vehicle in which he fled,” Murphy wrote.
‘Nothing can stop us’
Despite Tuesday’s incident, Green said the Salvation Army of Bellingham won’t be deterred from its goal of serving the needs of the children and families in need within Whatcom County — a goal that already required bell ringing efforts begin a bit earlier (Nov. 19) than usual because of the larger number of children and families needing holiday assistance this year.
“We’ve been stressing so much the need, and to see this happen is heartbreaking, and at the same time, we feel it is a huge blessing for our organization to be able to provide assistance for our community,” Green said. “All of us at the Salvation Army of Bellingham adore Whatcom County. Nothing can stop us from helping our community when our community is here to support us.”
Green said Whatcom County residents can help the Salvation Army of Bellingham reach its holiday goal by donating:
▪ In person at the 20 Red Kettles located outside Whatcom County retailers. Some of the kettles now have the ability to take tap-to-pay donations.
▪ Online at bellingham.salvationarmy.org.
▪ By phone at 360-733-1410.
▪ By mail or in person the Corps Community Center at 2912 Northwest Ave. in Bellingham.
Interested volunteers can also find more information at volunteer.usawest.org.
This story was originally published December 10, 2021 at 11:00 AM.
