SCARBOROUGH, Maine — Since 1995, the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) has been collecting aluminum can tabs from beverages to recycle them and raise funds for its charity. For the second year in a row, the Scarborough Police Department has been an enthusiastic participant.
RMH is a charity that provides comfort for families of pediatric patients and supports programs to improve the health and well-being of children across the country, according to its website.
Detective Garrett Strout at the Scarborough Police Department stumbled across the program two years ago in an online search and said he knew his precinct would be happy to help.
"I decided to save my tabs at the police department, [and] challenge my coworkers to start saving, and we ultimately made our first contribution last year, which was a great success," Strout said. "There is actually a lot of satisfaction in pulling tabs and collecting them for a good cause, and I encourage others to try it."
Scarborough police collected eight pounds of aluminum tabs this year and Strout said his fellow officers had a lot of fun doing it. He said they went as far as to stuff them in his locker, jacket pockets, or simply pile them on his desk.
Since 2003, the Ronald McDonald House has raised over $30,000 with this one program alone.
"The money we gain from the program goes directly to support the children and families who stay in our house," Ian Tovell, development and marketing director of RMH Charities of Maine, said. "This year, we raised about $3,000 to $5,000 through the tab program, which directly supports our mission of nurturing the health and well-being of children and families," Tovell said.
Strout said he wasn’t sure how much money their donation would bring, but said whether it’s one cent or $100, "every little bit helps."
"I am very thankful [for] the unwavering support of this effort by the police administration making it all possible," Strout said. "I speak on behalf of the entire staff that our hearts go out to all the families at the Ronald McDonald House of Maine and other locations throughout the country."
Tovell said they were ecstatic to receive the Scarborough Police Department’s donation for the second year in a row.
"We can’t thank them enough," he said.
For more information and locations to drop off soda can tabs, click here.
