SEYMOUR, Wis. (NBC26) -- Sometimes, even charity organizations need help. Seymour native Todd Ellefson found out about one in need of help in Northeast Wisconsin.
"I heard that Salvation Army needed some help because with Covid and everything… that their numbers and everything were down," Ellefson said.
So he had an idea to raise money.
"Well the only thing I think I can probably do is try to figure out a light show for you [Salvation Army]," Ellefson said.
Local Salvation Army kettles are not receiving a high volume of donations for its annual Christmas fundraiser. Ellefson wants to help with his nightly 100,000 light show.
"We're trailing last year by a little over $20,000... from year over year," Greater Green Bay Salvation Army Coordinator Matthew O'Neil said about the local organization's $285,000 kettle donation goal this year.
One reason the organization is struggling to get those donations is because there are simply less kettles across the Northeast Wisconsin area.
"The place where we're struggling the most is volunteers -- volunteers at our distribution sites, volunteers at our bell-ringing sites... those types of things," O'Neil said.
Ellefson stepped in to help Salvation Army in Outagamie County with his Christmas lights.
"I know some people that work at the Salvation Army in Black Creek [Wis.] and [they] kind of said 'well if you could do that we'd appreciate it'," Ellefson said. "And I did it, and this is what I got so far."
And without volunteers, you might not be hearing the usual bell ringers outside of stores.
"When there's an empty kettle, people just walk right by," O'Neil said. "You don't recognize anybody there. You just get in the zone, right? You're Christmas shopping, you just get in the zone."
But the Black Creek Salvation Army gave Ellefson a kettle to put in his yard. He's hoping his light show will help a good cause.
As a community that loves to serve, loves to help those in need, us and a lot of other organizations are blessed to be part of a community that cares for people," O'Neil said.
"[I just want to] know that I did my best to try and help people," Ellefson said.
Ellefson's home light show runs until Dec. 27. There are donation boxes for the light show and the Salvation Army in front of his home.
The Greater Green Bay Salvation Army has an overall Christmas fundraiser goal of $1.335 million.
