Fuccillo gives $200,000 to Salvation Army for red kettle campaign

Fuccillo presents huge matching donation at Grand Island Chevy dealership

Fuccillo Automotive Group presented the Salvation Army with $200,000 Dec. 23 at Fuccillo Chevrolet of Grand Island as part of this year's campaign in which Fuccillo matched red kettle proceeds throughout Upstate New York.

The Salvation Army headquarters in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and the Capital Region will receive $50,000 each as part of this matching holiday campaign. The red kettle campaign raised more than $1.2 million as of Dec. 20 in the Upstate New York area, in addition to the Fuccillo donation.

During the annual Salvation Army red kettle campaign, all 23 Fuccillo Automotive Group dealerships in New York state teamed up to raise money to support the Salvation Army and its programs and services. This month, the Fuccillo dealerships had Salvation Army red kettles on-site to collect donations of any amount. Fuccillo Automotive Group matched kettle donations raised at the dealerships and all Upstate New York kettles and digital kettle donations at www.onlineredkettle.org up to a total of $200,000.

"With the community's help we have been able to make this red kettle campaign a 'huge' success for the Salvation Army," said Billy Fuccillo, president of Fuccillo Automotive Group. "It has been a privilege to partner with the Salvation Army to raise awareness and support for all the important programs it offers to the community, and we're so glad people around the state joined the cause."

Maj. Kathleen Applin of the Salvation Army Buffalo Area Services said the money will help with such programs as sheltering and emergency feeding.

"It will help all year long," Applin said of the donation.

Laurie Elliott Krajna, director of development for the Salvation Army, said a $5 donation buys a hot meal for a homeless individual, $25 buys one hour of GED instruction for 15 students, and $47 is a night for a person in a shelter.

"People put everything in from loose change to $100 bills," Krajna said. "It's amazing."