PRESS RELEASE
Final Report: Mystery $1,000 Kettle Donor(s) Struck 23 Times
Roseville, Minn. – December 27, 2011 – It appears the mystery of St. Grand's identity will remain just that. Christmas Eve came and went with no clear indication of who was responsible for giving 23 kettle donations of $1,000 during The Salvation Army's 2011 Red Kettle Campaign, which ran Nov. 10 - Dec. 24.
The phantom philanthropist's first gift came Nov. 29 at Cub Foods in Roseville. The last was on Christmas Eve at Festival Foods in Bloomington. In between, St. Grand gave $1,000 at kettle locations across the Twin Cities and once in International Falls, for a total of $23,000. Each instance was the same: 10 $100 bills folded tightly together.
St. Grand's biggest day was Dec. 21, when The Salvation Army discovered 10 of the donations.
The Salvation Army's best guess is that the one true St. Grand gave 19 times. The rationale:
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$1,000 donations given on Dec. 22 and 24 were accompanied with notes indicating the donors were not St. Grand. One donor said he or she was "inspired" by the mystery donor, while the other said he or she was giving as a penance for wrongdoing.
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The International Falls donation, given Dec. 20, had to be someone else. Considering that donations were given in the Twin Cities Dec. 19 and 21, it is unlikely that St. Grand traveled to International Falls and back - a 600-mile trip - in so short a time period.
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One of the Dec. 21 donations was from the Edina Rotary in honor of a member who passed away recently.
"Whether St. Grand was one person or several, we say thank you," said Major Jeff Strickler, Commander of the Twin Cities Salvation Army. "St. Grand's anonymous gifts generated interest in this year's Red Kettle Campaign and spurred more people to give. Indeed, the mystery surrounding St. Grand's identity was matched only by his or her generosity."
The Twin Cities Salvation Army serves more than 288,000 people a year through its 25 local centers of operation. Daily it serves 2,500 hot meals and shelters 970 people. More than 33,000 local volunteers help The Salvation Army provide these and other services, from child daycare to senior housing. Click below to make an online donation.
