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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 18, 2005 Salvation Army Maj. Marv Samuelson delivers stands Thursday for kettles to businesses around the Rogue Valley that play host to the group�s annual fundraising drive. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Music to their ears ... sort of For those who ring the bells for the Salvation Army, today’s the day to strike up the band By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune If you think the jingle of Salvation Army bell-ringers echoes in your head, try being one of them. Last year, Ron Phillips sat in his wheelchair in the foyer of the south Medford Fred Meyer store, ringing for all he was worth. After days of eight-hour shifts, the 62-year-old Medford man wasn’t sure when work was done. "I can hear bells at night when I sleep," he said. But Phillips, who raised more than any other local ringer — $5,000 of last year’s $95,000 total — will be back for this year’s fund drive. It begins today. Advertisement In 23 locations across Jackson County, the familiar buckets of the Salvation Army Red Kettle Drive will be set up outside stores and in the Rogue Valley Mall, Maj. Marv Samuelson said. The goal is to raise enough money to pay for local social services ranging from food and clothing to employment assistance and transitional shelter. It’s a hope that dates to 1891, when a Salvation Army captain in San Francisco, commandeered a red kettle to collect holiday funds for the poor. Today, some ringers are volunteers, but others, like Phillips, are paid. Making minimum wage — $7.25 an hour — he earns nearly $60 a day in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. "That’s the only time of year I can make any money," said Phillips, who suffered a stroke in 2000 and has had a hard time finding a job. "Being in a wheelchair, they only see the chair. They don’t see what you can do." Phillips’ left arm is unusable and his left leg isn’t stable, either. Still, that doesn’t stop him from donning a red Santa hat and getting to work. The hardest part of being a bell-ringer, Phillips admits, is the boredom. This year, he has a plan to keep things lively. "I got a xylophone music box that plays Christmas carols," he said. "It plugs into the wall." He plans to alternate the electronic carols with his practiced jingling. "I won’t do it at the same time," he said. Let the holidays begin. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail Music to their ears ... sort of ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Salvia Divinorum Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s