SUPERIOR — Craig Oliver, of South Range, could be found Monday morning in the same place he has been every weekday morning since Thanksgiving. Ringing bells for the Salvation Army outside of Walmart in Superior, with his 7-year-old golden retriever, Merlot, by his side.
Oliver has been volunteering for the Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign for nine years, two years after he retired. He rings during the 10 a.m. to noon shift every weekday from Thanksgiving through Dec. 15, when he will drive out to Maryland to visit his grandson.
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Oliver’s loyal partner, Merlot, has a bed that comes with them every day.
“She’s my money maker,” Oliver chuckles as a shopper stops to pet Merlot after donating to the kettle.
Jed Carlson joined the Superior Telegram in February 2001 as a photographer. He grew up in Willmar, Minnesota. He graduated from Ridgewater Community College in Willmar, then from Minnesota State Moorhead with a major in mass communications with an emphasis in photojournalism.