Godfather’s founder helps bring awareness to final days of “Red Kettle Season”
By Joe Harris /
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OMAHA, Neb.—It is all about spicing things up to bring out more of the giving season.
Since November, the Hy-Vee located near 132nd Street and W. Dodge Rd. has hosted two of the 100-plus red kettles deployed in total across the Omaha metro.
However, on Dec. 22, Godfather’s Pizza founder and longtime Salvation Army supporter Willy Theisen decided to make those two kettles more active. Not only did he decide to ring a bell himself, but he brought some company with him, too.
"We've got the Salvation Army band playing here today,” he said. “Some of my friends are helping man both of these kettles here at Hy-Vee, and just bringing people together."
Why now?
Theisen said there was more urgency with it being the Christmas week.
"We're down to the wire, so to speak,” he said. “This is the final stretch."
Dressed in Santa’s red coat, Tree of Lights campaign chair Travis Freeman also helped with the effort for a few hours.
"I think it's great,” he said. “Anything to bring more people out to give to The Salvation Army for the Tree of Lights, I think, is great. This is the time of the year they need it the most.”
Sure enough, dozens of passersby stopped during Theisen’s time ringing the bell to drop money into the kettles out in front of the store – many times, they dropped in large-denomination bills. The scene unfolded as the band played Christmas tunes and camera crews from local TV stations showed up to get feature stories.
For Theisen, the push for more involvement at the kettle sites comes from personal experience.
"My involvement with Salvation Army started in development. I was recruited to ring a bell about eight years ago,” he said. "You have to have people who are going to show up. If you don't show up, you can't volunteer.”
While he said he is currently working on other projects, helping this kettle location raise more money takes priority.
“This trumps them all. When this comes about, this immediately goes into first place until the season's over."