Good Samaritan Sticks Up For a Chesterfield Bell-Ringer

A Good Samaritan came to the aid of a Salvation Army bell-ringer on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

According to Chesterfield police officer Mike Ryffle, someone ridiculed the bell-ringer standing in front of the at 100 THF Boulevard, in Chesterfield Valley.

A "Good Samaritan" told the bully to just put his money in the kettle. The verbal sparring culminated in the pair taking it out to the parking lot, where some pushing occurred.

“One guy had an opinion, and the other guy disagreed on the opinion,” Ryffle said. “It didn’t have anything to do with the Salvation Army guy at all. He just happened to be right in the middle.”

A different bell-ringer that day said he heard a commotion, but didn’t know much about the incident.

“A guy got jumped on. That’s about all I know,” the other bell-ringer said. He declined to be named.

William Becker, with the Missouri and Southern Illinois Salvation Army, said about $2 million comes in through the kettles, adding significantly to the annual Tree of Lights campaign. The goal this year is $6.5 million.

“People don’t realize how much their dimes, nickels, quarters, dollar bills add up,” Becker said.

Eighty-two cents of every dollar goes right back into local programs and services.

“If it’s donated in Arnold or St. Charles County, or St. Louis County, that money stays right there and helps those people in those communities,” Becker said.

Becker acknowledged holiday shopping can be frustrating for folks, and the bell can be irritating, but said he hoped people wouldn’t take their frustration out on the ringers.

“It's the first time I’ve heard of anyone egging on a bell-ringer and then a Good Samaritan taking up for him,” Becker said.

“We don’t encourage everybody to go out to the parking lot and fight over it. There’s probably better ways to handle it,” Becker said.