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Sheriff Leon Lott and deputies ring bells for the Salvation Army

  • Writer: W. Thomas Smith Jr.
    W. Thomas Smith Jr.
  • Dec 9, 2025
  • 2 min read

December 9th, 2025

By: W. Thomas Smith Jr.

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department raised over $1,800 in a single day this year


FOR THE FIFTH YEAR IN A ROW, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott and deputies with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) were out in force ringing the bells for the Salvation Army from 10:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. at the northeast Columbia location of Walmart, Thursday, Dec. 4: Sheriff Lott’s shift, which also included deputies regularly featured on the hit TV series On Patrol: LIVE, was from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.


“This has become a regular Christmas tradition for us since 2021,” said Lott, who prior to the 2023 Kettle Campaign received the Salvation Army Bell-Ringer Commendation Award after his RCSD set fund-raising records in 2021 and 2022. “We love it. Shoppers love it. Kids love it. And that’s what it’s all about: Bringing as much cheer as possible into the lives of others.”


Lott adds: “It’s also interesting seeing how many people give and who gives. Nearly everyone gives. Everyone wants to give.”


Giving indeed. Lott’s RCSD also set single-day fund-raising records in 2023 and 2024. This year, RCSD raised a total $1,861.42 in a single day. Is that number a record as in previous years? The tallies have yet to be finalized – and won’t be until after Christmas – but any amount above $500.00 is considered “a very good day,” according to Salvation Army officials.


This article can also be seen in the following publications:



THE GPS TRIANGLE NEWS (including the towns of Gaston, Pelion, Swansea, North, Neeses, Edmund, and Springfield) –




 
 
 

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