Carl Pollard is in his smile zone outside of Wal-Mart in Merced.

He's joyfully ringing his Salvation Army bell near the familiar red kettle.

And he's belting out a cheesy Barry Manilow song at the top of his lungs.

Many passersby are taken aback at first, but nearly everyone — even the most Scrooge-like among us — can't resist returning Pollard's contagious smile.

"He's fantastic," says Linda Andrews of Merced as she drops a few bills in the kettle. "If you saw him and didn't have change, you'd go back home and get it."

Pollard stands out as an irresistible, one-of-a-kind, kettle man dynamo in this year's Merced Salvation Army holiday campaign. There are 18 bell ringers around the Merced and Atwater area, working 8 hour shifts outside businesses with heavy customer traffic. They started early this year, Nov. 21, and will be out in force through Christmas Eve.

This is Pollard's six straight season.

"I know everyone," the lifelong Merced resident says.

With all the car honks and "Hey Carl" shouts throughout the day, it seems everyone knows him too.

"He's very personable and makes the rounds with everyone," says Kelsey Pearce, a coordinator for the Red Kettle Campaign.

Pearce said not everyone has what it takes to bear the weather and be committed to the task of reaching out for the needy. They had some 50 applicants this year.

The 18 that were selected face a daunting task. In the shadow of this country's economic downturn, the goal is to match last year's donation total — a whopping $70,000 that doubled the previous year's total.

The need is even bigger this year," Pearce said.

Despite the economic gloom, Pearce said the Salvation Army is off to a good start this year. The organization beat expectations with its Kettle Kick-Off Dinner and raised nearly $15,000. He said most of the funds will go directly to local social service programs.

"The tradition of the red kettle was started in 1891 in San Francisco by Captain Joseph McFee, who wanted to provide free Christmas dinners to the poor of San Francisco. He took the idea from Liverpool's "Simpson's Pot" — a large pot displayed on the Stage Landing to collect donations of passersby.

McFee placed a crab pot and tripod at the Oakland ferry landing, calling out, "Keep the pot boiling!"

This drew in crowds and tons of donations.

The idea spread, and is still used today by people like Pollard outside of Wal-Mart.

"I see a lot of people who walk up to the store with sad faces," he says. "Sometimes they walk back out, and even get to their car. And that's when they turn around and walk back to me and say, 'Thank you for reminding me to smile.' "

Pollard smiles yet again.

"That's what makes my day. It's awesome."

For more information on the Salvation Army campaign contact Jessica Pearce at 383-4225, ext. 2107 or jessica.pearce@salvationarmy.org.