Despite the heavy rain pounding against the tent above her, 84-year-old Ruth Weldon spontaneously sings “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” as an unsuspecting man tosses money into her Salvation Army kettle Wednesday in front of Charlie Joseph’s on Bull Street.

“I’m going to have to start singing and dancing too,” the surprised man said, laughing as he watches Weldon’s niece, Martha Weldon Pirkle, tap dance on the sidewalk.

Pirkle’s husband, Tom Pirkle, joins her lively aunt in song.

“We also sing ‘Deck The Halls’ and ‘Jingle Bells,’” he said.

The animated threesome have gathered at the same spot and date annually for several years to raise money for the local Salvation Army’s Christmas campaign.

“It just makes it more fun for us and people passing by,” Weldon said of their song and dance routine. “We just want to volunteer to help raise money for the community.”

The group raised $668 last year, including donations made by two people believed to be homeless, Tom Pirkle said.

“For them to give money says a lot,” he said. “They offered all that they had on them at the time, which was only a few coins each.”

Unlike this year, though, the volunteers’ efforts weren’t hindered by the rain.

“It’s definitely going a lot slower so far than last year at this time because of the rain,” Pirkle said. “But hey, last year we broke a local Salvation Army record for most money raised with only one bucket.”

The Pirkles first volunteered for the Salvation Army in 1994 and were joined by Weldon three years ago.

“It’s (Salvation Army) a really worthwhile organization that has proved it’s value time after time,” Martha Pirkle said. “It reaches across every culture in our nation to help anyone in need.”

Though she doesn’t sing, Martha Pirkle dons black tap dancing shoes to add to her husband’s and aunt’s songs.

“The poor are poor all year long,” she said. “But Christmas time is an especially important time to help the needy.”

With the rain pouring hard, the group said they had no intentions of leaving before their allotted time was up.

“It could be any one of us in great need of the Salvation Army’s services,” Tom Pirkle said. “God works on rainy days too.”

Kenneth Thompson can be reached at kethompson@lagrangenews.com or at (706) 884-7311 Ext.228.