On Friday, November 9 at 11 a.m. The Salvation Army of Augusta will launch the official start of their Red Kettle and Angel Tree campaigns. The community is invited to enjoy a daylong celebration filled with fun, fundraising and a little bit of friendly competition at Hobby Lobby, 230 Robert C Daniel Jr Pkwy.
 
The Red Kettle and Angel Tree Kickoff is a long-standing community-wide celebration hosted by the Army to kick off their two largest fundraisers of the year.
 
Participants will be able to adopt angels off the angel treeand watch as the first gift of the season is dropped into the famous Red Kettle. After the opening ceremony, The University of Georgia and Georgia Southern kettle teams, will go head-to-head in a race to see who can raise the most donations. This celebration will be from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and all are encouraged to stop by to help one of the teams win the coveted Red Kettle Kickoff trophy.
 
After the kickoff, Angel Trees will be placed in the Augusta Mall and The Salvation Army Kroc Center of Augusta and bell ringers will be stationed all around the CSRA. Money raised through bell ringing will go towards the 2019 funding for The Salvation Army's Center of Hope Shelter, Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Program, Job Skills Classes, Soup Kitchen, Rapid Rehousing Program and a range of other services.