Since 1865, The Salvation Army has grown to serve in 130 countries around the globe and assists approximately 25 million Americans each year. Jeane Turner  shares “The Salvation Army served 45,000 unduplicated individuals in our community last year with food, shelter, warm meals, youth programs, utility assistance, veteran housing, and many other basic needs. To put that in perspective, 1 in every 15 people living in El Paso County received some kind of assistance from us!”

When approached with the project Owner and Chairman of VENU, JW Roth, called the partnership “a no brainer… being able to support and collaborate with the Colorado Springs Salvation Army is truly a gift.”. This years kick off is extra special, and bigger than ever before. “The need is great right now and it’s expected to continue to grow…That’s why we decided to kick it up a notch this year and make our Red Kettle Kickoff much bigger and better.” says Turner.

When discussing who would perform, we reflected on the absolute best performances we have hosted at the Hall- Randy Travis was at the top of the list. Roth describes his time at Boot Barn Hall as “electrifying, iconic, and one in a million” 

The 2022 Red Kettle Kick off features Country Music Hall of Fame Member, Randy Travis with special guest vocalist, James Dupre. Throughout this project, we have witnessed the strength of a community and how deep the red shield runs. Special Guest Vocalist Dupre shared his excitement with us, “I can’t think of a better way to ring in the holiday season than good country music and working with the Salvation Army for a great cause.” Dupré, named one of “10 Country Artists You Need to Know” by Rolling Stone Magazine, and was handpicked by Randy and Mary as guest vocalist for The Music of Randy Travis Tour.