On the heels of an 11th hour call for support, the Chatham-Kent Salvation Army exceeded its fundraising goal for the year.
With a goal of $500,000, the annual Red Kettle Campaign brought in $500,284.32 cents.
Not being able to collect donations on December 23rd and 24th because of the storm likely lost the organization roughly $10,000 in donations, but officials say the safety of employees and volunteers came first and they are grateful for the funds they did receive.
Breaking down the numbers, $354,897.17 in donations were either mailed in or dropped off at Salvation Army locations across Chatham-Kent.
A total of $145,387.15 was donated directly at Red Kettle locations, $15,855 of which was donated by using TipTap devices attached to the kettle stands.
All proceeds support food and toy baskets handed out over the holiday season, as well as local programs and services, such as local thrift stores and food banks.