This is not the standard drop in the bucket.

An anonymous do-gooder has been making the rounds in the east metro, leaving big stacks of goodwill in the Salvation Army's red kettles.

In each case, the grand gestures have come in the form of 10 crisp $100 bills, tightly folded, said Salvation Army spokeswoman Annette Bauer.

The organization believes that the five $1,000 donations have come from the same person.

Bauer said that when she first learned there was a serial giver out there, she thought: "Wow, I hope they don't stop. How many more of these little bundles of joy are we going to get?"

The $1,000 drops began Nov. 29 -- two in Roseville, one in Shoreview. Then came mystery donations Friday in St. Anthony and Monday in Maplewood.

"We think this is the same person, given the fact the locations are close in proximity," Bauer said.

No bell-ringers on duty at the kettles noticed the wads of cash being wedged into the narrow slots, Bauer said.

The Salvation Army says it has so far collected about 33 percent of its Christmas campaign goal of $11.4 million. The kettles are out until Christmas Eve, with the campaign closing Dec. 31. For other ways to donate, visit www.thesalarmy.org.

PAUL WALSH