GALVESTON, Texas – Salvation Army volunteer Buddy Beaman was ringing his bell at the Kroger Signature Store on the Seawall in Galveston when a little holiday magic happened.
"A man came in here and showed me a check for $25,000 and I said, 'You got to be kidding.' He said, 'No this is real,'" Beaman said. "Wow, what can you say?"
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The man put the cashier's check in the kettle making it sway a little sweeter for Beaman, knowing how many people it will help.
"This $25,000 gift is a significant boost to our campaign and we need it now more than ever before," said Jane Porter with the Galveston County Salvation Army.
Porter said there are many children in need in Galveston County this year with 1,400 registered for the organization's Angel Tree gift program.
"There are also a lot of seniors who need help with food and Christmas gifts," said Porter.
The Salvation Army has been helping people on the island for more than 100 years starting with emergency disaster relief with the 1900 storm.
"The Salvation Army also helped after Ike feeding people and helping feed people so it is real exciting someone donated $25,000 today," said Kroger store manager Daryl Argo.
This was a double gift for Galveston County because Porter said an anonymous donor pledged to match every dollar put into red kettles in Galveston this Christmas.