Pupils help keep close tabs on area charity
Soda-can tabs will make life a little easier on parents with sick children.
As part of a statewide project, Columbia County 4-H organized a pop tab drive with county elementary schools. Pupils collected the tabs, which were turned over to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Augusta to exchange for money.
North Harlem Elementary School pupils led the local 4-H district, consisting of 40 counties, by collecting 73 pounds of pop tabs.
The pupils were recognized for their achievement with a plaque from the Ronald McDonald House on Tuesday.
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"I thought it was a wonderful project, because it teaches children the value of conservation and contribution," said Vikki Blair Adkins, executive director of the Augusta Ronald McDonald House. "They got a hands-on experience of the importance of recycling."
Pupils at North Harlem Elementary School received a plaque from Vikki Blair Adkins
(center) of the Ronald McDonald House for collecting 75 pounds of soda-can tabs.
Photo by Donnie Fetter
More than 5,400 pounds of pop tabs were collected in Georgia with nearly 370 pounds coming from Columbia County. In monetary terms, Georgia 4-H collected $1,907 for the nonprofit group.
The Ronald McDonald House provides housing to parents of sick children visiting area hospitals.
4-H volunteer Carol Jackson said the tab drive also was successful as a character-building tool.
"The Junior 4-H members would enlist the help of their churches or ask stores if they could put a jar by the register so people could donate their tabs," she said. "They were actively involved in doing something to benefit their community."