Pupils perform top job for fund-raiser

Gail Reed is still collecting pop tops from aluminum cans.

After her 4-H Club chapter at Blue Ridge Elementary School learned of the statewide effort to collect pop tabs to benefit the Ronald McDonald House, they took action.

"The students really seemed to get into this activity and it was their efforts that made this project so successful," said Reed, adding that the Blue Ridge club collected 50 gallons of the tabs. "We had some students that brought tabs from their churches. Students collected tabs from each classroom and had parents, grandparents and friends collecting tabs. They were very determined to collect as many tabs as they possibly could."

The initiative began when junior 4-H district officers issued a challenge to all 4-Hers in Georgia. The collection netted nearly 100 gallons of the aluminum tabs from Columbia County, said Shirley Williamson, Columbia County extension agent and 4-H and youth coordinator for the county.

"Each 4-H Club in Columbia County has a community service committee whose job is to take the character (education) word of the month and put it into action," she said.

The pop tabs collected throughout the state weighed more than two tons, with 45 cents a pound - or a total of $1,928.25 - donated to the Ronald McDonald House. The money will be used to build Ronald McDonald House in Macon.

"One of the main things that the child will learn from this type of activity is that there are people who will benefit from their collection of the tabs," said Reed. "It is important to help people who need help. It makes us feel good that we could do something to help others."