Celebrity chef Guy Fieri rings bell for Salvation Army in Santa Rosa
SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Celebrity chef Guy Fieri came to Santa Rosa Plaza on Wednesday for a good cause: ringing the bell for the Salvation Army to encourage donations.
"Look at that big money! Big money, big money," Fieri said after someone dropped some bills in the familiar red kettle outside the busy mall.
"I’ve been a big fan of Salvation Army forever," Fieri told a group of admirers who lined up at the mall's entrance to see him and to donate.
And many here were fans of Fieri, dropping off a few bills while also taking photos with the Santa Rosa native son, respected as much for his food as for his philanthropy.
"If you ever have the chance to make a donation, you’re looking for a place to send some goods or some time or some effort, Salvation Army all the way," Fieri told those in line, ringing the bell.
Capt. Sean Kelsey of the Salvation Army said Fieri is well known for his disaster relief efforts after wildfires in the region. The fact that he continues to give back, Kelsey says, is no surprise.
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"It just shows his heart," Kelsey said. "Guy, he supports the Salvation Army nationally and also here locally, obviously, because he has roots here."
Fieri told KTVU, "We have a beautiful day, we have people in line making great donations, encouraging others to get involved, and we need more bell ringers, so it’s a package deal."
Mall spokeswoman Jackie Garcia said, "We’ve been very grateful to have a great partnership with the Salvation Army this year, with the angel tree, people here giving donations. With a great name like Guy Fieri, we know we’re going to get that here today."
And with Santa in the house and holiday cheer aplenty, many were glad to lend a helping hand.
Across town at the Redwood Empire Food Bank, workers kept busy in the warehouse and the kitchen. However, donations are down, and the food bank has a "Holiday Match" until midnight late Thursday going into Friday, where gifts will be matched up to $100,000.
"We’re still seeing an increase in need and people turning to us for help for sure, and we are seeing that people are definitely giving but not at the level that’s required to keep up with the need," said Allison Goodwin, the food bank's president and CEO.
Henry Lee is a KTVU reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan