Salvation Army will give area residents a musical 'thanks!'

On Saturday, May 12, the Muscatine Salvation Army will turn its annual volunteer recognition program into a musical thank you to the community.The theme of this year's program is “Thank You, Muscatine” in recognition of the agency's successful 2011 Red Kettle Campaign.Salvation Army Captains Kim and Rick Ray invite area residents to join them at the Muscatine Community School District Administration Building, 2900 Mulberry Ave., for a free concert featuring the Salvation Army Heartland Divisional Brass Band.In January, Tim and Debbie Nelson, the 2011 Red Kettle chairpersons, reported that the campaign brought in nearly $140,000, surpassing its goal of $110,000.

The annual Freezing for Food and Toy Time campaigns, conducted for the benefit of the Salvation Army, were also very successful.Kim Ray said this year's Toy Time drive brought in enough donations to give more than  1,200 area children Christmas gifts.Salvation Army Advisory Board member Norma Lewis said the36-piece Salvation Army Heartland Divisional Brass Band is from the Salvation Army's  Heartland Division Headquarters in Peoria, Ill. That band has invited Muscatine Community School District students and members of the Muscatine Symphony Orchestra to join them in for the performance, said Lewis.

Muscatine Mayor DeWayne Hopkins will also be on hand. He'll put down his gavel and pick up his drumsticks as a member of the percussion section.The concert will be followed by refreshments provided by the Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary, and a volunteer recognition program.This year, the Salvation Army will present Volunteer Recognition Awards to the Nelsons; Andrea Scott, president of the Young Profes-sionals Network; former Young Professionals president Nick Gau; Chuck Morgan, manager of the KWPC radio station in Mus-catine and Jeff Canfield, former director of the Musca-tine HyVee grocery store.