ASHLAND — Vivian Wurster, a third grader at Reagan Elementary School, had some help collecting aluminum tabs over the last year.
Each of the last three years, the Ashland County Solid Waste District has hosted an aluminum tab drive. At the end of the drive, the aluminum tabs go toward the Ronald McDonald House at the Akron Children’s Hospital.
The Ronald McDonald houses exist to give families a place to stay while their children are in the hospital.
Collecting the tabs helps pay for operations at the Ronald McDonald house facility, according to Nancy Earick, the Solid Waste District’s education specialist.
Specifically, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio states the pull tabs provide money for its family fund, which “offers assistance in emergencies and helps to give families special moments.”
Wurster, who’s in Amy Chandler’s third grade class at Reagan, said her dad’s friend works at a bar. With the annual nature of the aluminum tab collection — it took place from October to March this year — they knew to save the tabs.
So, from the beginning of the year through the end of tab collection, Wurster said her dad’s friend helped with saving tabs. Wurster brought them in at the end of collection, and it pushed her class over the edge to win the competition.
“It helps with recycling,” Wurster said. “Recycling helps keep plastic and trash out of the planet.”
On April 15, the class had an ice cream party and received reusable bags from Earick that said, “Mother Earth thanks you.”
Learning about recycling
According to Earick, she teaches lessons in classrooms at elementary schools across the county. Those classes she visits are the ones who participate in the aluminum tab drive.
She starts off by teaching students about recycling, and how they can do it at home. Earick also teaches them about litter and pollution.
Then, once students understand recycling, Earick launches into telling them about the Ronald McDonald House and its services.
“At least one student in each school was aware of the service from their own family members using it or someone they knew,” Earick said.
Over the three years Earick has run the competition, classes in Ashland County have collected 1,544 pounds of aluminum tabs for the Ronald McDonald House. This year, the classes involved set a record, bringing in 528 pounds.
Chandler’s champions
For Chandler, this year’s winning teacher, participation in the contest is about “equal parts competitiveness and helping others.”
Still, Chandler described herself as competitive. Both she and Earick said her class has been in the running to win the contest each of the last three years, but this is the first time Chandler has emerged victorious.
“People know to give me pop tabs,” Chandler said. “They’re in my washing machine and coat pockets.”
She didn’t think her class would take the win this year, but on the last day, “in comes a five-gallon bucket full of pop tabs.”
As for Wurster, she said she was excited to win, but has already started planning for the future.
Her little sister is in first grade, and they’ve already started collecting aluminum tabs for her when she hits Chandler’s class and has the chance to participate in the contest.
