Red kettle bell ringer goes for 36 hours straight

UPDATE: After ringing a bell for 36 hours, Steve Batzka ended his attempt to break the 2012 World Bell Ringing record at 1:00 a.m. on Thursday

The Salvation Army released a statement expressing appreciation for Batzka's efforts to raise awareness and collect donations. The organization also urges people to continue to contribute due to donation shortfalls:

Major Harold Poff said, “Despite Steve’s efforts, the Red Kettle Campaign is still running significantly behind last year’s totals.  The Red Kettle Campaign is the Salvation Army’s major public fundraising campaign and donations are used not only to provide assistance to families in need at Christmas, but allows us to assist families throughout the year with basic needs such as food, housing and utility assistance."

Batzka tweeted early Friday morning that after 36 hours he raised $1,091.16 and rang his bell 750,000 times.

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FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE)  A Fort Wayne man hopes to ring his way into the record books by manning a Salvation Army red kettle outside for at least 60 hours straight.

Volunteer Steve Batzka started ringing the bell at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 11 at the Kroger Marketplace at the Village at Coventry. He doesn't plan to stop until midnight Friday.

Batzka is now only one of six contestants still participating in the second annual World Record Bell-Ringing Contest. Two bell ringers from California have dropped out; one stopped his effort at 6:32 a.m. Wednesday and the other stopped ringing at 12:10 Wednesday afternoon.

Batzka, 21, said the effort to set a record is secondary to the real reason he's staying put. "Volunteering has been a passion of mine ever since middle school. I was in Builders Club and then Key Club and now Kiwanis -  volunteering with them, going out and making people's lives a little better, touching them and being a real positive influence on people."

Last year, three people rang a bell for 60 hours, including Darrell Tureskis of Springfield, IL, and Caleb Stokes and Leilan McNally in Indianapolis.

You can follow the contest on Twitter using #RINGITON. Follow Batzka by using @stevebatzka.

Participants must follow these rules: 

• Contestants must ring a bell continuously while at the kettle stand.
• Participants must stand the entire time.
• No ‘self-playing’ instruments or other aids may be used at any time during the attempt.
• Contestants accrue 5 minutes of rest after each 60 minutes of ringing.
• Breaks are the only time contestants are permitted to stop ringing, eat, sit or lie down, or leave the kettle stand, use the restroom or sleep.
• Contestants may drink non-alcoholic beverages during the attempt, but that may not disrupt the ringing activity.