Bobby loved Christmas time. His favorite thing to do was ring the bell for The Salvation Army. Mom said he would pester her every August to sign up, though registration wasn’t until November. He first started ringing the bell outside of K-Mart in Clarksville, IN. Our mom shopped for hours snagging Blue Light Special deals. Bobby often rang the bell with the elderly lady who was positioned there.

When he was older, he became an official bell ringer. He was popular in the Clarksville area, often bringing in the most donations and wearing silly hats. Every year since Bobby passed, I’ve set up a virtual kettle and donated a few dollars, because the world just isn’t right without Bobby here ringing the bell.