The Salvation Army's fund-raising kettles are a traditional sight this time of the year, but they are so much more than something that just shows up amid the holiday hustle and bustle. The money collected in the kettles helps numerous less-fortunate people in the community and, for that reason, should be generously supported.

Some Salvation Army campaigns in other places across the nation have been blessed in the past with special kettle gifts, such as valuable gold coins, that those Salvation Army units cashed in for the benefit of services provided to needy individuals. However, until last year, gold had eluded the Butler campaign.

Then, a gold coin valued at $400 appeared in a kettle anonymously. Now the local Salvation Army unit reports that a man approached a bell ringer standing in front of the Pullman Square Kmart store, complimented her efforts and dropped in a Canadian coin equal to an ounce of gold — and valued at $450.

Like last year, Salvation Army officials quickly cashed in the coin in anticipation of putting the money to good use.

The Salvation Army intends to use the money to buy items such as food and medicine for needy residents.

Amid the good news about this year's coin, it was reported that this year's kettle campaign was still about $15,000 below the campaign goal of $55,000. Last year, the Salvation Army collected about $48,000, $12,000 shy of its $60,000 campaign target figure.

Considering the good ways that the Salvation Army uses the money collected, it is to be hoped that a flurry of giving prevails during this last week before Christmas. The Salvation Army campaign shouldn't have to tally the amount by which a campaign has failed to meet its goal; it should annually have the pleasant task of tallying the amount by which it has exceeded it.

Butler County residents are capable of making that sought-after scenario happen.