DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — If it's the holidays and you hear the bells jingling, chances are you'll find Julian Sautelet at Rural King in Decatur.
The storefront is his second home. He specifically requests the same Rural King storefront year after year to ring bells for the Salvation Army.
"[I just like] greeting a lot of people every day," he said. "Smiling faces — kids putting one coin in the bucket at a time, and [these donations help] a lot of people."
It may only seem like a couple bucks here and there, but the Salvation Army thrives off of these donations. The Red Kettle Campaign raises around $175,000 each year for the organization's Decatur chapter.
The bell ringers are often volunteers, but some — like Sautelet — are paid for their dedicated service.
"These funds that we collect, especially around Christmas time help people all year long," said Salvation Army development director Kyle Karsten.
It's not always an easy job. The cold storefronts and the long hours take their toll on even the merriest of ringers. But Sautelet still presses on, tying on the red apron year after year.
"As long as I can do it, [I'll do it]," he said. "We need it for a lot of people."
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