Canyon Lake Lions Club collecting can pull tabs

The Canyon Lake Lions Club, which for years has supported the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House, is collecting pull tabs to convert into funds for the organization.

Aluminum pull-tabs can be popped off soda, beer, soup and other food cans, Joanna Spiller of the club said. Lions Club members will combine the donated pull-tabs with their own collection to take to the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House where they will be weighed and sold. The resulting proceeds will go to the Ronald McDonald House.

Pull tabs are being collected with a May 4 deadline. They may be given to any member of the Lions Club or dropped off at Joanna’s house at 23651 Cruise Circle Drive.

The Ronald McDonald House program began in 1974 based on the simple idea of providing a “home away from home” for families of seriously-ill children at nearby hospitals. The Ronald McDonald Houses are within walking distance of most Children’s Hospitals so that families don’t have to travel back and forth to their homes.

Since the first Ronald McDonald House opened almost 50 years ago, more than 10 million families around the world have benefited from the temporary lodging provided by Ronald McDonald Houses.

The Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House has recently added 33 new guest suites to its facility to meet the growing needs of more than 1,000 families who are served each year there. Dozens more families will now be able to stay closer to their hospitalized children thanks to the expansion. The Loma Linda facility provides lodging for those from Riverside County, San Bernardino County and beyond.