The city of Columbia Falls successfully defended its bell-ringing title for the Salvation Army on Dec. 18.

Columbia Falls bell ringers at Smith’s Food and Drugs collected $2,468 in donations and took first place in the second year of the “Battle of the Bells” competition.

The Evergreen Chamber of Commerce was second with $1,900, followed by the city of Kalispell with $901, the city of Whitefish with $859, the Bigfork Chamber with $668 and the Lakeside Chamber with $534.

The combined efforts raised $7,331, a 472 percent increase over what volunteers manning donation kettles normally would collect. Last year, the combined effort of all six contestants was $6,992.

All money collected by the competition will be used here in the Flathead to meet the needs of the valley’s most poor residents.

According to Bob Blake, the Salvation Army’s director of development, the money will help serve nearly 30,000 meals, distribute more than 2,600 gifts to area nursing homes, provide more than 10,000 articles of clothing and household items, and provide more than 780 children Christmas presents.

For more information, call 257-4357 ext. 236 or e-mail bob.blake@usw.salvationarmy.org.