More than $23,000 raised for The Salvation Army

DETROIT- Four groups of Red Wings players, personnel and alumni raised a total of $23,083.68 for The Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign during a two-hour span on Friday night throughout Metro Detroit. Red Wings forwards Justin Abdelkader and Darren Helm raised more than $6,000 to earn the victory in the 11th annual bell ringing competition.
The Red Wings grand total of $23,083 raised via bell ringing and text message donations during the two-hour span was nearly $10,000 more than the team's total of $13,699.17 from last year's bell ringing competition. Since 2005, the Red Wings have raised more than $145,000 to benefit The Salvation Army.

The annual duo of Abdelkader and Helm located at Hockeytown Authentics in Troy raised $6,168.90 to earn the bell-ringing crown. Coming in only $20 behind the winners, the Red Wings alumni trio of Chris Chelios, Kris Draper and Chris Osgood raised a total of $6,148 at the Kroger in Northville (17447 Haggerty Rd.).
Red Wings Executive Vice President and General Manager Ken Holland, who is also serving as the Honorary Chairman of the 2016 Red Kettle Campaign for the 11th straight year, and Head Coach Jeff Blashill took third place with $5,915.78 raised at the second Kroger location in Northville (425 North Center St.), while Red Wings forwards Luke Glendening and Anthony Mantha brought in $4,851 at the Kroger in Royal Oak.

The funds raised this year will support The Salvation Army's STRIVE (Student Training for Integrity, Vitality and Education) youth floor hockey program. Introduced in 2009, the program teaches the basics of the sport of hockey, team building skills and positive sportsmanship behavior to children ages 8-12.
About The Salvation Army:
Founded by William and Catherine Booth in London, England in 1865, The Salvation Army is a faith-based, non-profit organization dedicated to serving people in need without discrimination. This past year, The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit was involved in providing 2,724,152 meals and 652,786 nights of shelter for the homeless. The Salvation Army uses $.87 of every dollar raised to provide direct services to people in need each and every day of the year. For more information about The Salvation Army, please call 877-SAL-MICH, or visit us at
www.salmich.org
.