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Tri-Cities Salvation Army receives two gold coins valued at over $5,000

The Salvation Army volunteers ringing bells with donation kettles in Kane County have received two gold coin donations valued at over $5,000.

Tri-City Salvation Army Corps officer Joe Alvarez said the first gold coin was found the weekend of Dec. 6. The coin, an American Eagle, was appraised at $2,661.

A second gold coin, a South American Krugerrand, was found on Saturday, Dec. 14, in the donation kettle outside the Jewel-Osco on Kirk Road in St. Charles.

The Krugerrand has not yet been appraised. But it is expected to have a similar value to the American Eagle coin.

A South African Krugerrand, valued at approximately $2,660, was found in a Tri-Cities Salvation Army donation kettle outside the Jewel-Osco on Kirk Road in St. Charles on Saturday, Dec. 14. Courtesy of the Tri-Cities Salvation Army

Giving gold coins has long been a Christmas tradition in Salvation Army donation kettles across the country.

The Tri-Cities Salvation Army has received one or two gold coins each year for decades, and the donations have come to be relied on by the nonprofit to help fund operations.

“It’s a tremendous blessing to receive a donation like that,” Alvarez said. “It’s part of a Christmas tradition. You just never know when they’re going to pop up, but it happens every single year. To be part of that tradition is such a blessing.”

With a total estimated value of more than $5,000, Alvarez said that money will go a long way to help support the Salvation Army’s food pantry. He said the food pantry is one of their biggest endeavors, and during the spring and summer, when donations are not always consistent, the funds will help keep the shelves stocked.

Where the coins come from remains a mystery. The donors have never been seen, and the coins are often wrapped in paper currency, likely as a means to avoid detection and maintain anonymity.

“They don’t ever make a big spectacle,” Alvarez said. “I just feel like they don’t want the accolades, they don’t want any glory, they just want to help.”

Alvarez extended a “huge thank you” to the Kane County community for their support and generosity.

“To see their support through donations to the Red Kettle campaign and volunteer hours that they put in and to see this organization be so well-supported is overwhelming,” Alvarez said. “We couldn’t possibly do the good that happens here without our volunteers and the people who donate to us, so I’m really appreciative to be in such a caring and loving community.”

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