The Salvation Army in Rochester raised an estimated $13,300 on Saturday during its first eight-hour "ROCK The Red Kettle" event.
The highest one-day total for the Red Kettle campaign during the same period last year was $6,866.
2013 Christmas Chairman Al Mannino said "the outpouring of generosity from this community, while not unexpected, was considerable."
The Salvation Army said Major James Frye, Rochester Corps Officer, "considered the response as another endorsement of The Salvation Army's mission, to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in his name without discrimination."
Frye said the next seven weeks of fundraising are crucial for The Salvation Army, and he asked individuals to either drop donations in red kettles with bell ringers or consider volunteering as bell ringers.
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Mannino said the Salvation Army is "asking for over $1 million this year to help pay for critical Salvation Army programs and services."
Rochester's ROCK The Red Kettle event was based on annual events held in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
The annual Salvation Army Christmas campaign "generates almost one-third of annual funding."
According to the group, "funds stay local and are used for food, housing, healthcare, adult day care and social programs of The Salvation Army."
More than half of local Salvation Army funding comes from local support.
Bell ringing is expected to continue through Dec. 24.
Want to volunteer as a bell ringer? Go to www.RegisterToRing.com .
