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The Salvation Army is implementing virtual red kettles this year on top of the traditional red kettles you see at Walmart leading up to Christmas.

Captain Ian Carr with the Salvation Army of Bartlesville said if you have a company, a small business, a church group, or some other group that is looking to make a difference this holiday season, then you can go to the virtual red kettle website - give.salvationarmyusa.org - to create your own red kettle that people can donate to. He said the money will go to your local Salvation Army.

There have been variants of the virtual red kettles over the years, but this is the first year the effort has been this massive across the country. Captain Carr said it has been effective. He said it has evolved rapidly over time.

There are always questions as to whether or not the system is secure. Captain Carr said they've also had questions in terms of how the information that is provided to them is handled and whether or not donations go to the Salvation Army of the donors choosing. He said they're ahead of the times now, the system is secure, and you can choose the Salvation Army you wish to donate to instead of it being based on the zip code you are making a donation from.

Captain Carr said they are excited about the virtual red kettle system and how it has evolved to help them here locally in Bartlesville. He said they also love the team building aspect of giving to your local Salvation Army that the virtual red kettles create while keeping everyone safe from the coronavirus this year.