Tri-Cities Salvation Army receives two gold coins valued at over $5,000

The Salvation Army volunteers began ringing bells with donation kettles in Kane County early this month and have since received two gold coin donations, valued at over $5,000 total.

Tri-City Salvation Army corps officer Joe Alvarez has been with the Salvation Army for seven years at various locations, and has been working at the Kane County location for about 5 months.

Alvarez said the first gold coin of the year was found the weekend of Dec. 6. The coin, an American Eagle, was appraised at $2,661.

A second gold coin, a South American Krugerrand, was found in the donation kettle outside the Jewel-Osco on Kirk Road in St. Charles on Dec. 14. The Krugerrand has not yet been appraised, but is expected to have similar value to the American Eagle coin.

The giving of gold coins has long been a Christmas tradition in Kane County and in Salvation Army donation kettles across the country. The Tri-Cities Salvation Army has received a gold coin or two almost every year for decades and the donations have come to be relied on by the nonprofit to help fund operations.

“It’s a tremendous blessing to receive a donation like that,” Alvarez said. “It’s part of a Christmas tradition. You just never know when they’re going to pop up, but it happens every single year. To be part of that tradition is such a blessing.”

With a total estimated value of over $5,000, Alvarez said that money will go a long way to help support the Salvation Army’s food pantry. He said the food pantry is one of their biggest endeavors, and during the spring and summer, when donations are not always consistent, the funds will help keep the shelves stocked.

Two of the same types of gold coins were found last holiday season, valued at roughly $2,000 each at the time.

Where the coins come from remains a mystery. The donors have never been seen, and the coins are often wrapped in paper currency, likely as a means to avoid detection and maintain anonymity.

“They don’t ever make a big spectacle,” Alvarez said. “I just feel like they don’t want the accolades, they don’t want any glory, they just want to help.”

Alvarez extended a “huge thank you” to the Kane County community for their support and generosity.

“To see their support through donations to the red kettle campaign and volunteer hours that they put in and to see this organization be so well-supported is overwhelming,” Alvarez said. “We couldn’t possibly do the good that happens here without our volunteers and the people who donate to us, so I’m really appreciative to be in such a caring and loving community.”