Schools aid Ronald McDonald House in pop tab contest

Rachel Moehle from the Ronald McDonald House in Indianapolis recently told students at Rockcreek Elementary about the importance of having family close by when you are a patient at Riley Hospital.

Thanks to the schools who participate in the annual Key Club Pop Tab Contest, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. schools have provided more than three years of free stays for families who have a child being treated at Riley Hospital for Children.

Moehle and Ronald McDonald traveled to Rockcreek on April 25 to present the school with the first-place trophy for collecting the most pop tabs per student in the 2017 Key Club Pop Tab Contest. Barb Huffman is the school’s pop tab coordinator.

Finishing second this year was last year’s winner, Busy Bees Academy. Third place was claimed by Mt. Healthy Elementary. Brandy Brown coordinates pop tabs for Busy Bees, and Trisha Brennan does likewise for Mt. Healthy.

The Ronald McDonald House also presented milestone plaques to Julie Eldred from Central Middle School for a cumulative collection of 1 million tabs, Brennan for 2 million tabs and Deb Acton of Schmitt Elementary for 5 million tabs.

This was the 16th year that the Key Clubs from Columbus East and North have conducted the annual Pop Tab Contest. The total collection weighed 1,487 pounds, representing 1,959,866 pop tabs and donated $743.50 to the Ronald McDonald House of Indianapolis. That brought the 16-year total to more than 33 million pop tabs recycled, and has contributed $15,208 to the Ronald McDonald House, which provides rooms, meals, activities and support for families who have children staying at Riley Hospital. Families stay for a nominal charge and are never turned away if they are not able to pay the nominal fee.

The Columbus East Key club is sponsored by the Meridian Kiwanis Club, and the Columbus North Key Club is sponsored by the Columbus Evening Kiwanis Club.

Information: columbuseveningkiwanis.org; kducks.com