Man camps in giant kettle until Salvation Army reaches goal

CHEBOYGAN COUNTY, Mi (WPBN/WGTU) – During this time of the year, it’s common to see volunteers from the Salvation Army standing outside ringing a bell to raise money.

In Cheboygan, one volunteer is taking that to the next level.

Throughout the day and night , you can drive through downtown Cheboygan and see volunteers tending to the kettle, ringing the bell and taking donations.

They even have a man inside the kettle radiating Christmas spirit, and he hasn’t left that kettle since Saturday.

“It’s one thing to be by the kettle ringing the bell, but whenever you’re living in the kettle I mean you see things from a whole different perspective up here,” said Greg Bock, the business manager of the Salvation Army in Cheboygan County.

He’s calling it “Ten K Red Kettle Stay.”

That means he’s staying in there until they raise $10,000.

“It could be today, it could be five days from now, it could be ten days from now, but I have faith,” Bock said. “It will come through. Cheboygan’s a giving community.”

His living situation consists of a heat lamp, a radio playing Christmas music 24/7 and lots of blankets.

He also has the option of going down through a hatch to the inside of the kettle.

People in the town have been supporting him.

“People who I don’t even know brought me space heaters,” Bock said.” “People I didn’t know brought me a sandwich for lunch, a cup of hot chocolate. People who I haven’t even seen in Cheboygan before are bringing money to the red kettle.”

As long as some people in the community are living outside, it is the least he said he can do to help them.

“When I leave this kettle, I’m going home to a warm house and a wife and three kids and a family that’s loving and cares for me, but there are some folks out there that are living in the woods, that are living in their car,” Bock said.

On Monday, Bock had raised almost $4,000.

He landed on $10,000 as the goal, because that is how much they were short last year.

You can donate by going to the kettle in Cheboygan or online at salmich.org/cheboygan.