Darrell Tureskis outlasted them all. The 49-year-old from Springfield, Ill., rang his bell for more than 60 hours, setting a new world record for the longest continuous hand bell ringing at a Salvation Army Red Kettle.

Two dozen volunteer bell ringers in cities across America started at noon on Thursday and many didn’t stop until the weekend. Salvation Army Capt. Kyle Smith of Spokane, Wash., who was among the 24 contestants this year, set the 36-hour mark in 2010. His record was shattered by the top five contestants, including two volunteers from Indianapolis, Ind., Caleb Stokes and Leilan McNally. They rang for 60 hours, until midnight on Saturday. Jason Perkins in Suisun City, Calif., and Saundra Shearon in Cleburne, Texas, who both rang for 57 hours, rounded out the top five.

Contestants sought to raise awareness for The Salvation Army’s 120th Red Kettle Campaign while also aiming to break the year-old record of 36 hours. Bells ringers – which include Salvation Army officers, staff and community – volunteer their time. Participants must stand the entire time, ringing their bell at all times. They only are allowed one, 10-minute bathroom break every four hours and only may drink hydration products like water, Gatorade or juice – no food. People could follow the contest on Twitter, with the hashtag, #RingItOn.

Many of the contestants participating in the Bell Ringing World Record Contest stood outside a local Walmart, with some at a Macy’s or other local stores, and one at an airport in Anchorage, Alaska.

The Red Kettle Campaign was started as a fundraiser in San Francisco in 1891 by Salvation Army Capt. Joseph McFee. More than 25,000 Salvation Army workers and volunteers around the country ring bells daily and solicit spare change donations from holiday shoppers. The $142 million collected nationwide in last year’s Red Kettle campaign was a new record for the Alexandria, Va.-headquartered Salvation Army.

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