The Salvation Army of Orange and Osceola Counties recently received the support of Osceola County Commissioner Peggy Choudhry, who led the charge in tapping into a new generation and new medium of fundraising. Gathering a group of 20 social media influencers from Osceola County and around the country through Collab Experience Orlando and Angels of Influence, the group attempted to raise $200,000 in their Virtual Red Kettle campaign.

“This is a game-changer for The Salvation Army. Getting young people to understand our mission, and then use these unique platforms, and their role as influencers to share exponentially that message to fight for good and bring hope to others in need is bringing us into the 21st century in a way I never saw coming. It’s exciting and encouraging about the future of fund-raising to serve the needs of the most vulnerable of our communities.”, says The Salvation Army Orlando Area Commander, Captain Ken Chapman.

Peggy Salvation Army
Peggy Salvation Army
Peggy Salvation Army
Peggy Salvation Army
Peggy Salvation Army
Peggy Salvation Army

The iconic Salvation Army Red Kettles are a symbol of hope to those less fortunate and a long-standing tradition of the Christmas holidays. Money raised through live and virtual Red Kettles go to fund social services all year long. If you wish to support these influencers in their groundbreaking campaign to meet their goal of $200,000, visit www.salarmyorl.org/redkettleosceola and donate to the Osceola Hope Takeover team. Every dollar raised stays in Osceola County to provide social services for its residents.

The group hosted a press conference on Friday, November 12th at 10:00 am at Encore @ Reunion Resort where Commissioner Choudhry, Captain Ken Chapman, and a few of the social media influencers explained their goal and how they were going to fundraise for the Salvation Army’s Virtual Red Kettle campaign. Later that day the influencers did what they do best, they spread the message to their millions of followers through Tik Tok and Instagram in what could be described as a social media influencer telethon.

The Salvation Army annually helps more than 23 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction, and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at 7,600 centers of operation around the country. In the first-ever listing of “America’s Favorite Charities” by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Salvation Army ranked as the country’s largest privately funded, direct-service nonprofit.

For more information, visit SalvationArmyOrlando.org or SalvationArmyOsceola.org.