Kettle Kickoff 2019 features world’s largest harp
The Salvation Army’s 2019 red kettle season will officially kick off Friday, Nov. 22 at the Mall of America with William Close and the Earth Harp, with additional performances Nov. 23.
The Earth Harp holds the Guinness World Record for longest playable stringed musical instrument. Its strings will travel over the audience and attach to the second floor of the Mall of American Rotunda, transforming the Rotunda space into a gigantic instrument.
The New York Times says the Earth Harp is “an instrument unlike anything Bach or Beethoven could have ever imagined.”
Close is an installation artist, musician and visionary who has developed more than 100 new musical instruments, including the famed Earth Harp. His main performance will take place Nov. 22 at 6 p.m. and will include a pre-concert ceremony to usher in the new kettle season. Additional half-hour performances will be held Saturday, Nov. 23 at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. All performances are free and open to the public.
Kettle Kickoff marks the first time Close has performed the Earth Harp in Minnesota. He has strummed the instrument in some of the world’s most iconic destinations, including the Coliseum in Rome, Seattle Space Needle, MGM Grand in Las Vegas…and now, the Mall of America.
“We applaud William Close for bringing his musical genius to Minnesota and for joining The Salvation Army’s mission to fight for good this Christmas season,” said Lt. Col. Lonneal Richardson, leader of The Salvation Army Northern Division. “This event will be an unforgettable experience.”
Cub grocery stores will add even more excitement to the weekend by matching all kettle donations made in the Twin Cities on Nov. 23, up to $20,000.
Throw your hat in the ring
The Twin Cities Salvation Army needs more bell ringers to join in the #FightForGood. Sign up to ring now.
Bell ringing is a fun and easy way to help people in need. During one two-hour shift, you’ll raise an average of $60 – enough to provide a homeless person with two days of food and shelter at The Salvation Army Harbor Light Center in Minneapolis. Kettle donations also help The Salvation Army to provide youth programs, family mentoring, disaster relief, addiction counseling, and other valuable services.
The 2019 kettle season runs weekdays and Saturdays until Christmas Eve. Sign up to bell ring at any of 300-plus kettle locations throughout the Twin Cities metro area.
The Twin Cities Salvation Army hopes to raise $12 million this Christmas season, with kettle donations accounting for about $2.5 million of that goal.
Thousands of hardworking families are battling poverty in Minnesota and North Dakota. You can help them win by donating $25 a month or becoming a bell ringer. Join The Salvation Army this Christmas season and #FightForGood.