CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. – Someone donated a gold coin at a Salvation Army Red Kettle in Shelby worth a lot of money.
Salvation Army worker Alexander Degree says it was a brisk morning in December. He was outside the Hobby Lobby in Shelby, North Carolina just doing his job when he saw a man come up to make a donation.
“He had folded it up in a piece of paper and put it in there,” Degree says. “I hadn’t realized that was what he had done.”
The piece of paper had a message attached. It said: “Amid the difficulties of the pandemic, isolation, and uncertainty, thank you for making a difference in the lives of others by sharing the love of Jesus Christ. May others be inspired to give generously to share this message and help those in need.”
Wrapped in that paper was a 50 peso gold coin, worth $2,200.
“It made me feel special," Degree says. “It made me feel like what I have been doing out here, I have accomplished something.”
A spokesperson for the Salvation Army in Cleveland and Rutherford counties said this year they were under budget about $8,000, so this donation was a true blessing during a tough year.
Last year, a golden coin was dropped at another Salvation Army Red Kettle in Shelby. That coin was a 1915 Austrian 100 Corona gold piece worth $1,500. It’s not clear if it was the same person, but the Salvation Army spokesperson said both donations are highly appreciated.