McCULLOUGH: Wal-Mart's Salvation Army Save

If Target wishes to be the Grinch this Christmas, then how would we classify Wal-Mart?

Breaking news late Thursday: Wal-Mart announced that it will nationally match dollar for dollar the proceeds of all Salvation Army red kettles beginning Thursday through Christmas Eve.

Wal-Mart has allocated the Salvation Army the greatest number of kettle locations nationally for the last number of years. Target was formerly No. 2 on that list.

This year, Target prefers to be a big zero when it comes to public relations. They evidenced this by their change in policy to no longer allow the Salvation Army to collect at their locations.

We have led the charge to raise awareness of this in the New York area by pounding Target daily for the past month. Target has turned stiffly away from any calls to allow the bell-ringers of good will to return to the red bull's-eye's doorsteps.

But the cry for help has not gone unnoticed. On Wednesday, the tiny little GLY bookshop in Glen Cove, Long Island, N.Y., decided to have its own drive to help the Salvation Army. The shop which is more famously known for being able to find any rare book that is asked for, entertained bell-ringers with snacks while community residents came with donations to the kettles set up at both entrances. At the end of the day, the tiny little shop added its own $1,000 donation.

And while mom-and-pop shops have sprouted up all across the nation to try to help, the need stilled loomed larger than ever.

Last year, the Salvation Army collected roughly $9 million nationally from Target store kettles.

Still, spirits at Salvation Army offices - particularly in the hard hit Northeastern part of the United States - were high on Thursday.

Maj. Charles Kelly, the Newark area services coordinator, broke the news on the "Kevin McCullough Show" (first in the nation):

"Kevin I am excited to be able to tell you about this first - Wal-Mart has truly stepped up to the plate," his voice nearly quivering with excitement as he relayed the message to my audience. "They will match all funds donated to Salvation Army Red Kettles for the next nine days - up to 1 million dollars."

The Salvation Army has kettles at better than 3,600 local Wal-Mart associated retailers.

"The Red Kettles are an enduring symbol of the holiday season and represent people helping people," said Betsy Reithmeyer, vice president of corporate affairs for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. "We hope our customers join us in donating what they can to benefit an organization that does so much in our communities to serve families in need. The Salvation Army red kettles and the bell ringers are truly a holiday tradition worth keeping."

So while Target has done all it can to become the Grinch that hates Christmas this year, Wal-Mart has made a bold move to do otherwise.

In the days left between now and Christmas Eve, it becomes imperative that Americans at large do their part to assist the Salvation Army in its plight.

In order for your red-kettle donation to count toward Wal-Mart's million-dollar match, it needs to be given to a red kettle outside a Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, SuperCenters, or Neighborhood Markets. But take a challenge from me and try to give - every single time you spot a red kettle.

Target has chosen unwisely to allow itself to be morphed into the Grinch this holiday season. Wal-Mart is taking a bold - and, I believe, advantageous - move by filling in one or two gaps that Target may have left behind. The real impact of both companies may not play out for some time yet.

Over time, you get a feel for people you trust, like and appreciate - and those you don't. The score has changed considerably, in my thinking, on the part of both companies.

I just pray that Wal-Mart's "save" comes with enough time on the clock for people like you and I to make it count.

But... I .... what... no way... I... d'oh! Don't these people know that Wal-Mart is supposed to be evil? How are the lefties going to win if they allow stuff like this to appear? Is there an editor on an unemployment line somewhere today? This sort of "Wal-Mart isn't nearly as evil as one would believe" stuff has just got to stop! C'mon, leftists, unify your message, for crying out loud! :-)

"But... I .... what... no way... I... d'oh! Don't these people know that Wal-Mart is supposed to be evil? How are the lefties going to win if they allow stuff like this to appear? Is there an editor on an unemployment line somewhere today? This sort of "Wal-Mart isn't nearly as evil as one would believe" stuff has just got to stop! C'mon, leftists, unify your message, for crying out loud!"

Aside from your ham-handed sarcasm towards those who deign to criticize Wal-Mart, from the left or right, this just shows that this company has so much money they can afford to spread a little around to snooker shoppers with a Salvation Army come on. I STILL refuse to shop there because the money that doesn't wind up in the Red Kettle will wind up in the hands of Communist China. I think I'll just cut the Salvation Army a check this year and avoid Target AND Wal-Mart altogether.

Hah.. you left out "intentionally", as in "intentionally ham-handed sarcasm".

I figure I can shop there and pay a cheaper price for imported products, or I can help finance some criminal union thug by overpaying for that same product elsewhere. It's quite a dilemma, actually. But my point in my sarcasm was to call attention to the fact that no matter how broad a brush folks use to attempt to paint Wal-Mart, Microsoft, etcetera as evil, heartless corporations, there are examples to the contrary. Some don't want to see these sorts of articles, because it goes against their argument.

"I STILL refuse to shop there because the money that doesn't wind up in the Red Kettle will wind up in the hands of Communist China."

And you'll be going to which store that doesn't carry any merchandise that says "Made In China"?...I sure haven't been in a store yet that doesn't have something on their shelves which states it was "Made In China"...you sound like Wayne Rogers on with Neil Cavuto the other day...he believes in a capitalistic society, just not for Wal-Mart...

"I figure I can shop there and pay a cheaper price for imported products, or I can help finance some criminal union thug by overpaying for that same product elsewhere. It's quite a dilemma, actually."

No offense meant, none taken.

I agree that this new trend of personal boycotts is a difficult policy to implement. Since 911, I have tried to maintain a personal boycott on goods from many countries, such as France, Germany, Russia, China, Mexco, Canuckistan, Turkey, and now Spain, Brazil, Venezuela, Chile, and various and sundry others that keep cropping up too numerous to mention. But I try to remember that until very recently, the goods from most of these places never appeared on the shelves in American stores anyway, so there is likely to be alternatives, if you look a little harder. I buy things from the old standbys, like Japan, Britain, Italy, Australia, Holland, even Poland, Taiwan, and other non-descript places that haven't spit in the face of the Americans. Considering that American soldiers are dying daily in the field of battle, I'll pay a higher price for quality goods that aren't tainted with the stain of appeasement or outright treachery. And, it helps me keep my spending in line by not impulse buying a bunch of cheap trash.

No offense taken here either. I, too, try to carry out a few minor, small-scale personal boycotts, even smaller in scale than those you mentioned. I won't see any movie with Alec Baldwin, for example. I haven't shopped Target since they blew off the Salvation Army. I have no illusion of brining down a company single-handedly, nor even of forcing a policy change. I just feel better knowing I wasn't helping finance it. For Wal-Mart, I tend to agree with many of their policies (staunchly anti-union, for example), so I continue shopping there. It's all about choice, and thankfully, we still have that here.

Wal-Mart has found a brilliant way to twist the PR knife which their competitor, Target, has handed them by their buckling to the demands of the sodomites. They dollar-for-dollar match is a good thing, but I have an even better suggestion: Wait until the close of the Christmas season and ask the Salvation Army to tally up just how far they came from meeting their fund-raising goal because of Target's actions. Then, make up the difference - or, even, make up the difference "plus 10%" (similar to the promises given with "low price guarantees"). Make the announcement on the slowest news day they can find. This would be worth more to Wal-Mart than all the ads in all the Sunday newspaper supplements in all the papers across the country for a month.

I have no love for any of these big retailers and avoid them whenever possible, but, if we can use our economic influence to reward and/or punish merchants who act in certain ways, it adds up. Besides, I get the personal satisfaction of knowing that whatever they might be doing that I don't like isn't being done on my dime.

Most often those who bash Wal-Mart can afford to not shop there. Wal-Mart is a Godsend to those of modest and small incomes.

I have a healthy income but I still shop at Wal-Mart. Infact, I was there last night. Got a new home theater system and needed wall mounts for the speakers. Went to Best Buy and Circut City. They were charging $20 for a single mount rated to 2.5 lbs. For 8 lb mounts they wanted $30. Couldnt find any rated higher in weight that were under $100 for a pair. I wasn't going to spend that kind of money on a bracket to put speakers on the wall.

Went to Wal-Mart and got a pair rated to 10 lbs for $8.

$8!!!

I saved, after taxes, about $100.

Call me evil, uncaring, unAmerican, what ever you like. But unless you going to send me $100 to buy at a different store I don't want to hear it.

"I have a healthy income but I still shop at Wal-Mart. Infact, I was there last night. Got a new home theater system and needed wall mounts for the speakers. Went to Best Buy and Circut City. They were charging $20 for a single mount rated to 2.5 lbs. For 8 lb mounts they wanted $30. Couldnt find any rated higher in weight that were under $100 for a pair. I wasn't going to spend that kind of money on a bracket to put speakers on the wall."

I understand the dilemma. Here's how I've learned to handle it. Pre-plan the installation until you've identified the materials required, then USE THE INTERNET to find the best deal using products you KNOW aren't from sources on your personal boycott list. Don't be hasty! Its never been easier to find alternatives if you don't rush into these places for every little last-minute thing. These stores know most people operate on a whim. Don't fall for it!

I searched the internet in advance of making a purchase. Best deal I could find for what I needed was $20 for a pair plus $8 shipping. So I still came out $20 ahead and have an easy return if something isn't right.

I don't have a boycott list.

"I searched the internet in advance of making a purchase. Best deal I could find for what I needed was $20 for a pair plus $8 shipping."

I have yet to find an item in any store, anywhere, that I can't find as good or a better deal on the Internet. Try e-bay or some other discount outlet. It works for me.

I'll even give you an example. I recently needed a replacement lamp for an old 6V camping table lamp, the kind with a lamp shade. It used a regular bayonet-style light-bulb, rather than a screw-type flashlight bulb. I looked everywhere in town, including Home Depot, Lowes, the local ACE Hardware, Sears; nothing came close. I got on e-bay and found the thing in minutes, and at such a discount that it more than made up for the shipping.

Anyway, I thought the whole point of all the comments here were related to the idea of shunning Wal-Mart at all costs. Any complaints posted had to do with the difficulty of following through with avoiding them. I was merely suggesting workable alternatives.

Thanks for this uplifting article, KMC1.

I was about to mail my usual Christmas check to The Salvation Army, but decided I'll travel over to our local Wal-Mart and put it in the kettle so they can get Wal-Mart's matching funds.

I called the local SA office and, yes, they do accept checks in the kettles.

I have yet to find an item in any store, anywhere, that I can't find as good or a better deal on the Internet. Try e-bay or some other discount outlet. It works for me.

I have also found that to be the case virtually all the time. With expected exceptions on large items where the delivery cost offsets any savings.

Anyway, I thought the whole point of all the comments here were related to the idea of shunning Wal-Mart at all costs

When did FR institute a policy limiting the scope of comments on a thread? And I have no intention of shunning Wal-Mart.

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