For the third straight year, donors have contributed a number of precious jewelry items to Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettle Campaign – anonymously dropping diamond rings, necklaces, rare coins, and other jewelry donations into Red Kettles across the state.

The trend started with a widow dropping her wedding ring set and a note into a Red Kettle outside Boston’s North Station – honoring her late husband’s commitment to the Army – and has grown into a phenomenon of more than 60 pieces of jewelry, and counting.

The Salvation Army depends on the proceeds of the month-long Red Kettle Campaign to fund programming all year long, using the millions of dollars raised to provide over 2.1 million meals, 200,000 nights of shelter, and provide toys and warm clothes to thousands of families in need across the Commonwealth.

But the heartwarming trend of receiving anonymous jewelry donations pushed The Salvation Army into another endeavor – jewelry sales. In November, The Salvation Army partnered with online auction house EVERYTHING BUT THE HOUSE to raise $27,000. The proceeds from each item have been returned to the community where they were donated.

The Army has continued to receive jewelry donations this year in communities all across the Commonwealth, and they hope the publicity generated by the exciting and heartwarming trend will drive overall giving.  Additionally, this year the Army has enjoyed terrific support from celebrities and public officials across the state, including Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, and Speaker Robert DeLeo, among many others who volunteered their time this year to ring the bell at a Red Kettle to raise money.