More than $1 million was placed in a Salvation Army red kettle attended by Secretary of State Ralph Munro during the Christmas holiday. The check came from a couple who lived in Olympia, Wash., for years and left part of their estate to The Salvation Army.
Helen Miller died in 1991, and her husband, Charles, died in 1997. The couple met and married in Alaska, where Charles Miller worked in canneries. They were married for 66 years. The estate happened to be distributed during the holidays.
“Salvation Army volunteers are in shopping centers and on the street for weeks and weeks and they’re cold and it’s miserable and some people walk right by them. A check for a million dollars, it’s hard to believe,” said Munro.
“I’ve been a Salvation Army officer and involved in Christmas kettles for about 35 years, and I’ve never had a million dollar take, never in my life,” said Major Chuck Gillies, Olympia corps officer.
The Salvation Army decided the money will go to expanding over-crowded emergency centers. The Olympic Wildlife Rescue and the Lacey Rotary Club also received donations from the will.
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