Lioness Club prepares to deliver pull-tabs

File photo

Each year the Canyon Lake Lioness Club members welcome donations of pull-tabs from residents and combine them with their own collection for a fundraising project to benefit the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House. Aluminum pull-tabs can be popped off soda, beer, soup and other food cans.

The Lioness Club members plan to deliver their collection of pull-tabs on Friday, May 5. Residents wishing to donate pull-tabs should deliver them before May 3 to Joanna Spiller, 23651 Cruise Circle Dr. The tabs will be weighed and sold, with the proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald House. Last year, the club collected 164.5 pounds of pull-tabs.

The Ronald McDonald House program began in 1974 based on a simple idea: Provide a “home away from home” for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. Since that time, more than 10 million families around the world have benefited from the comfort provided by a Ronald McDonald House.

The Pull-Tab Collection Program was established in 1987 by the Minneapolis/St.Paul Ronald McDonald House community. To date, across the country, more than 400 million pull tabs have been collected, generating more than $4 million.

Many Ronald McDonald Houses work with local recycling centers to receive money for collecting tabs from aluminum cans. The Loma Linda House supports more than 24 families each night. A fee of $5 per night is charged; however, no family is ever turned away due to inability to pay. Funds to operate the House come from contributions through individual gifts, special events, corporate donations and foundation grants.