Target tries to make up for kettle ban

By Timothy Pratt (contact)

Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2004 | 11:07 a.m.

Amidst nationwide negative publicity surrounding the banning of red kettles and at least one mass e-mail campaign urging a boycott, a local Target stores official donated money to the Salvation Army's Christmas programs Monday.

Target stores District Manager Ray Sconiers gave the charity a $2,000 check, the first of many the retail chain will be donating to the local arm of the national charity, said Charles Desiderio, spokesman for the Salvation Army of Clark County.

"We're two great organizations, and there's no reason why we shouldn't be helpful to each other," Desiderio said.

Sconiers did not return a call seeking comment.

The retail giant decided months ago to end a longstanding exception to its no solicitation policy that had perennially been granted to the Salvation Army.

But the decision was only publicized recently, after bell ringers and kettles didn't appear outside the chain's stores on the day after Thanksgiving.

Local Salvation Army officials said the ban -- together with a cut in the number of days Wal-Mart let the bell ringers set up outside its stores -- could lead to a shortfall of about $50,000 for its Christmas programs.

The kettles raised about $300,000 in recent years, which bought food and presents for the needy, officials said.

Target's announcement Monday to help the charity in other ways came after reports that a Mississippi-based nonprofit group, the American Family Association, sent out 2.5 million e-mails nationwide urging a boycott of the chain due to the ban.

The group, in a Dec. 1 press release on its Web site, said it was "recommending that Christmas shoppers voice their opinion with their dollars and let Target ... know that people of faith do not support its decision to stop assisting the Salvation Army in its annual kettle drive."

Editorials around the country also called attention to the retailer's decision.

"I'm sure Target stores throughout the U.S. are not happy with the bad publicity ... but they have always helped us," Desiderio said.

The charity's spokesman said he had a meeting with Salvation Army officials in Las Vegas last week and that the charity was "going to send out a press release saying we don't condone that kind of stuff" -- referring to the boycott.

Then Target stores informed him of the decision to support the charity year-round.

"(Sconiers) said, 'We're not going to be waiting for Christmas anymore,"' Desiderio said.

"We decided to just get this thing behind us."

Getting the ban behind them seemed even more possible with this morning's announcement that seven local builders -- led by Focus Property Group -- are expected to donate $60,000 to the charity Thursday, according to a press release.

As well, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and Boulder City Mayor Bob Ferraro announced a contest to see which city can put more per capita into the charity's kettles.

The losing mayor will serve a meal at a senior center in the winning city.

The contest "will add to the spirit behind the ... Christmas Kettle Drive," the charity's press release said.

Goodman said he has additional motivation: "I hate losing."