Pulling Tabs An Exercise In Charity And Compassion

Wed., Aug. 7, 1996

Norma Ponsness Special To Opinion

I couldn’t believe my eyes. There in the newspaper was an article saying it is an “urban legend” that pop-top tabs from aluminum soft-drink and beer cans could be used to help pay for kidney dialysis machines.

My phone started ringing immediately. Friends and family members who had been collecting tabs for me for years said, “Ha, ha, you’re being hoaxed!”

Not true. I have been saving and collecting aluminum tabs - and they are being used for a good cause. They don’t buy dialysis machines, but they do buy a week of camp for children with cancer.

I was upset that others read the article and now think that no legitimate organizations collect tabs. They do. You just have to check them out.

We live in Mesa, Ariz., half of the year, and the resort where we live is very involved in good causes. One of them is collecting aluminum tabs for Indian Summer, a Kentucky camp for children suffering from cancer.

When we’re spending time in Spokane or on the road in our motor home, I always ask people to save their tabs. Last winter, I returned to Mesa with a 3-pound coffee can filled with tabs, plus a large plastic bag filled with them. And that was just my personal contribution.

So, when I read the article about the “urban legend,” I worried that collecting tabs for charity might be a hoax. But a friend in Mesa sent me proof that it is no hoax. It was a thank-you letter from the camp describing what had happened in 1995 because of our contributions.

The letter read: “We want to thank you for taking the time to pull the aluminum tabs off of cans and saving them for Indian Summer. Because of your efforts, you helped us hit an all-time high of 30,299 pounds and $15,163 for camp. Forty-eight children and 38 counselors enjoyed a week full of activities, from flying kites to shooting off rockets. Without your involvement in our tab project, we would not be able to have such a wonderful camp for these special kids.”

I’ve enjoyed collecting tabs. It’s easy to do. And I feel I’m helping, in one small way, a larger cause that helps children.

But I’m also glad I checked it out after reading about the hoax. It’s good sense to look into any organization to which you give time, energy or money. Then, keep on giving!

MEMO: “Your turn” is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a “Your turn” column for consideration, contact Rebecca Nappi at 459-5496 or Doug Floyd at 459-5466 or write “Your turn,” The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane 99210-1615.

“Your turn” is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a “Your turn” column for consideration, contact Rebecca Nappi at 459-5496 or Doug Floyd at 459-5466 or write “Your turn,” The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane 99210-1615.

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