Dexter Cub Scouts Ring Bells for Salvation Army

On Dec. 12, Webelos from Pack 454 in Dexter spent a chilly afternoon wishing Busch's shoppers a "Merry Christmas" and collecting donations for the Salvation Army of Washtenaw County.

The Boy Scouts organization encourages community service among all packs and troops.

"Scouting was founded on the premise of doing a good turn daily. Community service is very important in the character-building process and, as Scouts, we have made the commitment to give back to our communities," the organization said in a press release.

Pack 454 was able to raise more than $100 in two and a half hours.

When it was time to go, scout Seth Read asked to stay longer because he wanted to raise as much money as possible for people who need help. He had heard earlier on the radio that the Salvation Army helps one person every second, which he calculated to be more than 30 million people a year.

Local girl scouts have also been ringing bells for the Salvation Army, and scouts from Pack 477 helped with both the Dexter Chamber of Commerce Christmas Eve luminary display, and the Salvation Army.

As reported on Patch, Salvation Army needs are up and donations are down this Christmas season. At the volunteer website, http://www.registertoring.org/WebPages/, shifts are available every day except Sunday until Christmas at both Dexter locations: the Dexter Pharmacy and Busch's on Ann Arbor Road.

The volunteer process is very simple and requires only setting up an appointment online, confirming availability over the phone and requesting a bucket.