Editorial: Optimism to fuel annual kettle drive

Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2001 | 8:31 a.m.

The Salvation Army's annual kettle drive officially got under way this week. Even before they began, though, the bell ringers were facing some hurdles. For starters, kettle drives in recent years have had difficulty raising money because a growing number of businesses no longer allow the Salvation Army on their premises because of liability concerns. And Las Vegas city ordinances have restricted where the bell ringers can set up.

The obstacles facing the Salvation Army come at a time when it is needed more than ever -- the economy is slumping and as many as 15,000 people in Las Vegas have been laid off since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. We're confident, though, that Las Vegans will dig deep and provide enough donations so that the Salvation Army can continue to offer the top-flight help it provides for the homeless and those who are struggling to get by. And don't forget that the Salvation Army almost always is first on the scene when a natural or manmade disaster hits families or a community. One hopeful sign so far is that the Salvation Army's mail fund-raiser is generating about 35 percent more in donations than it did last year. We hope that is a barometer that will bode well for the bell ringers, too.

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