Mansfield rings bells to keep Mayoral Challenge

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 By Amanda Rogers

Mansfield Record

Bells rang all over Mansfield on Saturday as the city competed to keep the Salvation Army Mayoral Challenge trophy.

Mansfield Mayor Michael Evans, city staff, Boy Scouts, Mansfield ISD staff, police officers, firefighters, Pickle Queens and churches spread out across the community ringing bells to help fill the Salvation Army’s Red Kettles.

Begun in 2009, the Mayoral Challenge pits the mayors of nine cities against each other to see who can raise the most money. Mansfield has won every year except in 2011, when Arlington invited the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders to help that city raise funds. Mansfield crushed the competition last year, raising more than $125,000 of the total $193,000 raised.

Cities competing this year are Mansfield, Arlington, Dalworthington Gardens, Pantego, Hurst, Euless, Kennedale, Forest Hill and North Richland Hills. Across North Texas, 30 cities are raising funds in the challenges and three are competing in the Waco area.

Of course, the Salvation Army is the real winner.

“The Salvation Army provides food for people in need, shelter for the homeless and activities for kids,” Evans said. “That’s what it’s all about, taking care of people. That’s why we’re out here.”

Evans gives credit to his predecessor, State Rep. David Cook, who was one of the founding members of the Mayoral Challenge while serving as Mansfield mayor from 2008-2021.

“We couldn’t win each year without David and the benefactors he knows,” Evans said. “If he stopped caring, we would stop winning.”

But Evans doesn’t see that happening this year, even against Mansfield’s much larger neighbor to the north.

“(Arlington Mayor) Jim Ross was talking a lot of smack,” Evans said. “I’m just saying, David slew Goliath. It’s in the Bible.”

Results from the Mayoral Challenge should be finalized this week, said Mansfield City Secretary Susan Marin said.