Gregory Blagdon of Harriston has been collecting pop tabs since his school days in support of a project started many years ago by Elora Legion member Jack Baumber.
The project involves collecting aluminum pop can tabs, which are sold to a Guelph company that only buys from Elora Legion Branch 229.
Then the branch uses the proceeds from the aluminum sales to purchase walkers, wheelchairs and motorized scooters for people who need them.
As of May, 2016 the branch has provided 2,209 wheelchairs through the program.
Blagdon, who now attends the Community Living day program in Harriston, sees fellow members in the program who need a wheelchair to get around.
That motivated him to collect even more tabs to provide transportation for those unable to do so for themselves.
Blagdon even went as far as helping himself on recycling day to the neighbours’ pop tabs in the recycling boxes – but his mother felt obliged to put a stop to that practice.
Blagdon’s uncle Eric Waltham has been a big supporter of the project. Over the years, the family has dropped off numerous bottles of tabs at the Harriston Legion, Br.296. However,they then decided that they would keep collecting until they had a significant number.
That decision led to the presentation of 30 two-litre bottles full of aluminum tabs at the branch’s monthly meeting on Nov. 2. How many tabs is that? Greg’s sister, Allison, provided some interesting “tab facts”:
– a two-litre pop bottle holds 2,800 tabs and weighs 1.75 pounds;
– 30 bottles hold 84,000 tabs and weigh 52.5 pounds.
“A job well done, Greg,” stated Harriston Legion officials in a press release.
“Hopefully, Greg’s project will stimulate other members of the community to also collect pop tabs and drop them off at the Harriston Legion as we endeavour to help those in need of personal transportation.”
