The Salvation Army’s 11th Annual Red Shield Ball took on added significance this year, coming as it did on the heels of two major hurricanes.
Held Oct. 19 at UNF’s Adam W. Herbert University Center, the annual benefit featured both live and silent auctions to support The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Lodge and programs at the Towers Center of Hope.
Fresh in guests’ minds, however, was The Salvation Army’s response to the one-two punch of hurricanes Helene and Milton, which devastated sections of Florida, North Carolina and other parts of the Southeast. According to the Salvation Army, the organization provided approximately 330,000 hot meals, 35,000 meal kits, 173,000 drinks, 130,000 snacks and 27,000 emotional and spiritual care contacts as a result of the two storms, with response efforts expected to continue well into November.
