By Scott Taylor,Staff Writer

LEWISTON – Donations to the Salvation Army’s red kettles are running low this season, after banner collections one year ago.

“We have our big week coming up, so we still have hope,” said Maj. Richard Lyle, commander of the Lewiston chapter of the Salvation Army.

Collections so far this season stand at about $34,000. At this time last year, bell ringers had collected more than $40,000.

“There comes a point when you’re looking at these numbers and trying to figure out where you stand, (and) a little red flag goes up,” Lyle said. “That’s where we are now.”

Christmas kettle collections account for about one-fifth of the local chapters’ annual budget, but it is the group’s single largest source of revenue. Last year, people donated more than $60,000 in the kettles by the time Christmas had passed. The year before, donations were $58,000. They were $57,000 in 2002.

“If we just get up in that area, we’d be happy,” Lyle said.

Competition for other charitable causes could have something to do with it, he said.

“People have given a lot of money for Hurricane Katrina relief and other things, so they may be tightening up just a little bit,” he said.

Lyle is confident that kettle collections will perk up, however.

“One thing I know is that once the community is aware that collections are down, they really do step forward,” he said. “They just get busy with the season.”

The local chapter manages eight kettles in Lewiston and Auburn. They’re positioned inside the Auburn Mall and at the entrances to Marden’s, Big Lots, Kmart, Wal-Mart, Sears and both Shaw’s supermarkets. They also manage kettles at the entrances to the Wal-Mart stores in Farmington and Oxford Hills.