Anonymous donor leaves gold tooth at Arizona Salvation Army

Gold tooth dropped in Arizona Salvation Army Red Kettle

An anonymous donor dropped a 2.5-gram gold tooth into the Salvation Army's Red Kettle, worth approximately $100, in western Arizona.

QUARTZSITE, Ariz. - The Salvation Army has struck gold— again.

What we know:

Someone put a gold tooth in a countertop Red Kettle near the cash register at their Quartzsite location. 

It's not the first time this has happened, but for the most part, it's usually coins and paper currency dropped into the Red Kettles, with an occasional casino chip.

This particular gift weighs in at about 2.5 grams of gold and is valued at around $100. 

What they're saying:

The Salvation Army wants to thank the anonymous donor for thinking of other people when they decided to give up the gold.

"This is really unique about the gold tooth," said Ryan Bearchell of the Salvation Army. "This is not the first time that it has happened. This is actually the second time in four years at this same location that we recovered a gold tooth. Really unique, very different, but very thankful nonetheless."

"Whoever blessed us with this creative gift, we thank them from the bottom of our hearts," said Lt. Colonel Charles Fowler, Commander of The Salvation Army Southwest Division. "In the past, Red Kettles across the country have received gold and rare coins, checks of large dollar amounts, and jewelry … even a dollar bill with a diamond ring taped to it. We are grateful that people recognize there are many things of value that can be used to help people in need."

The backstory:

Quartzsite is known as the "Rock Capital of the World," according to The Salvation Army Southwest Division. 

The similar donation happened at the same Quartzsite location back in November 2021. That gold tooth weighed approximately 5 grams and was valued at $300.

"This tooth seems denser than the one four years ago," said Lee-Ann Henle, The Salvation Army Quartzsite Service Center Coordinator and Thrift Store Manager, "but it brought a very similar smile to my face."

Map of the Salvation Army location.