Hello Everyone! Welcome back to the blog!
In this segment, I will be discussing pop tabs. For those of you that are not sure what pop tabs are, there the tabs that help open cans of soda (or pop!)
Collecting pop tabs can be very beneficial for many different organizations. The one organization that I know collects the tabs is the Ronald McDonald House. With 365 locations around the world, The Ronald McDonald houses provides “a home away from home” for those who live more than 30 miles away and have a critically ill or injured child receiving treatment at a nearby medical facility.
For one pound (approximately 1,128 tabs), the Ronald McDonald House receives between $0.40-$0.50. While that doesn’t look like much, the organization receives about $6,000 each year. In 2017, people across the United States donated 13 million pop tabs!
The Pop Tab program is important because it provides a little extra money/donation that families cannot provide. For a family to stay at a Ronald McDonald House, it can cost about $100-$140 per night. If all 13 bedrooms are full, that is $1,157-$1,625 a night. The organization asks for $10 per night but no family will be turned away if they cannot pay.
The Ronald McDonald organization doesn’t just collect pop tabs from soda-they also collect tabs from energy drinks, soup cans, or anything with a metallic tab (remember this when you throw your soda can away-save the tab!)
I have personally participated in numerous pop tab collections through my alma mater, Saint Joseph Academy in Cleveland, Ohio. In 2016, we donated almost $300 in pop tabs. In 2017, we donated nearly 480 lbs (nearly $400- & 5-wheel barrels full!) SJA has been donating pop tabs to the Ronald McDonald house of Cleveland for nearly 30 years.
Many schools across the United States collect pop tabs. For example, Saint Joseph Catholic School in Northview McPherson, Kansas and Saint Joseph School located in Lockport, Illinois. Both schools donate to the organization or their local RMH.
How To Get Involved:
- Take the tab off of your soda pop can.
- Collect the tabs or give them to someone who does!
- Once you have a good amount, donate them to your local Ronald McDonald House! (There’s even one in Erie!)
For more information: Ronald McDonald House
Photo Credits to Saint Joseph Academy in Cleveland, OH