Battle of the Bells brought together the Wilshire Rotary and Lions Clubs on Dec. 17. (photo courtesy of the Wilshire Rotary Club)

The Wilshire Rotary Club hosted a friendly competition with the Lions Club Saturday on Dec. 17 at its tree lot 568 Larchmont Blvd, which is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Dec. 23.

“In 2018, we kicked off a new Red Kettle tradition called Battle of the Bells. Both the Los Angeles Host Lions Club and the Wilshire Rotary Club of Los Angeles competed to raise the most money and toys for the Salvation Army,” Los Angeles Red Shield’s lieutenant and Wilshire Rotarian Angel Amezquita said. “This holiday season, millions of Americans continue to struggle with the effects of the pandemic and inflation. The Los Angeles Red Shield and The Salvation Army’s Central Los Angeles Corps are committed to providing service and love to those in need this Christmas and beyond. Our youth today are experiencing high levels of academic problems, peer pressure, bullying, parental pressure and/or poverty. All of the above can result in depression, dropping out of school, juvenile delinquency, health problems, drug and alcohol abuse. It is our duty as adults to play a positive role in the lives of children and it is our responsibility to protect them.”

In 2018, Los Angeles Red Shield’s Lieutenant Angel Amezquita established Mariachi Rayos del Sol, the Salvation Army’s first and only youth mariachi ensemble in the world. In their short existence, they have had the honor of performing at over 30 venues; from an ice-skating rink in San Diego to an elegant dinner reception at a Marriott hotel in Ventura.

The Red Shield Community Center is affiliated with the Salvation Army and the rotary club has supported it for many years. The facility in the Pico-Union District is an after-school tutoring and enrichment center that has been in place for over 75 years. It is a refuge for the extremely disadvantaged children and their families it serves.

“I can’t think of a better type of competition than a challenge to do good in the world and bring peace and joy to those in need. Wilshire Rotary is proud to participate in just such a competition – Red Shield’s Battle of the Bells, Rotary vs. Lions – which of these great service organizations can raise the most. A friendly competition, where the most important thing is to help struggling families over the holidays – so there are really no losers,” Wilshire Rotary Club president Joyce Kleifield said.

For information about the Salvation Army, visit salvationarmy.org. For information about the Lions Club, visit lionsclub.org. For information about the Wilshire Rotary Club, visit wilshireortary .org.