Treasure Found in Grand Junction Salvation Army Red Kettle

There are people in Grand Junction who are incredibly generous in some very surprising ways. For example, an anonymous donor dropped real treasure into a Salvation Army Red Kettle.

The treasure found in the kettle were two one-ounce Krugerrand. If you're not familiar with these coins, it's important to know this currency isn't your average pocket change. These coins are made of gold.

The coins were found on Tuesday (November 22) and are but one of many unusual items found in the kettles by those who donate.

Over the years, the Salvation Army Kettles have held wedding rings, good luck tokens, and even gold teeth. Some with notes telling the story of the item, others just anonymous donations.

Claudia Jackson, Director of Public Relations for the Grand Junction Salvation Army says;

The sale of the coins will help us to purchase food for our food bank, help with needs for Christmas and help those with addictions. There was no note, no instructions, just a phone call alerting us to a possible valuable donation in a certain kettle.
It says so much to have a donation of this kind. It tells us there is someone out there that believes in our mission and trusts us to make the right choices in spending their most generous gift wisely."

The value of Krugerrand fluctuate with the gold market, but as of Tuesday, the value of each coin is estimated to be $1,260.

While this single donation is significant in both its value and uniqueness, it is still important to continue donating to the Grand Junction Red Kettle Campaign.

It takes over $200,000 in donations for the Salvation Army to continue providing essential assistance and services to individuals and families in need for the next year. So, every donation whether small or big helps in a very big way.