Editor’s Note: In 2014, AAR will be featuring Arizona REALTORS® who rock – specifically when it comes to serving their community! These REALTORS® have thrown caution and selfishness to the wind – and their communities are better because of it. Do you know a REALTOR® that rocks? Let us know. Send us an email at editor@aaronline.com.

According to the Salvation Army, Wednesday is the most difficult day to find volunteers to help collect donations during the holidays. It’s so hard, in fact, that The Salvation Army actually pays people to man the red kettles, taking money away from those that need it most. When JoAnn and Joseph Callaway learned this, they did something about it. Last year, the Callaways assembled 1,096 of their closest real estate industry friends, along with local Salvation Army volunteer coordinators, to ring the bells at red kettle locations every Wednesday during December. REALTORS®, loan officers, escrow offices and title companies came together and kept the bells ringing for more than 180 kettles during December. These volunteers raised more than $117,000 and saved the Salvation Army $85,000 in expenses – an impact totaling more than $200,000.

A big thank you to all who volunteered!

If you’d like to get involved with The Salvation Army, visit http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/volunteer