SM
Shawna Martin
  • Class of 2012
  • Hernando, MS

Shawna Martin collects pop tabs for Ronald McDonald House

2011 Nov 8

Shawna Martin of Hernando helped the Northwest Mississippi Community College's Division of Nursing collect pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Memphis to recycle for fundraising, collecting over 80 jugs of pop tabs this fall.

The students compete to gather the most pop tabs every fall, according to Northwest Nursing Simulation Specialist, Pam Briscoe. "The contest runs the entire month of October," said Briscoe. "The contest is between the nursing classes from first semester freshmen through second semester graduating sophomores, so each level competes against the other. The winning level is treated to some type of gift, usually cake or cupcakes. The students start collecting as soon as the contest ends for next fall, asking co-workers, friends and family to save the tabs."

According to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Memphis, the little tab that you use to pull open your can of soda can make a significant impact for their organization. The organization collects the tabs because the tab is made of a purer, higher-grade aluminum than the can, it is cleaner to collect tabs than cans and also takes up less space. The average weekly amount brought in by Pop Tabs is $250, which adds up to an average $13,000 a year.

For more information about Nursing at Northwest, contact Division of Nursing Director Ellen Williams at ewilliams@northwestms.edu. For more information about collecting pop tabs for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Memphis, visit http://www.rmhmemphis.org/poptabs.

Pictured: Students in the Northwest Division of Nursing collected 80 jugs of soda tabs or "pop tops" for the Ronald McDonald House in Memphis that the organization recycles to help cover operating expenses. (First Row L-R) Crystal Stamps of Horn Lake, Sarah Bailey of Pope, Michelle Furnish of Southaven, Carol Tramel of Batesville, Melissa Parrish of Senatobia, Leigh Tedford of Horn Lake, Jessica Skaggs of Hernando, Teena Waltersdorff of Hernando, Christina Massengill of Olive Branch, Kecia Ivy of Southaven, Lorie Parham of Southaven, (Second Row L-R) Margaret Carroll of Oxford, Breck Crouch of Oxford, Crystall Hester of Red Banks, Shawna Martin of Hernando, Lindsey Wall of Oxford, Kyrstyn Willis of Olive Branch, Cindi Rutherford and Jennifer Mitchell, both of Olive Branch, Kristina Brown of Southaven, (Third Row L-R) Mark Thomas of Southaven, Bradley Grantham of Horn Lake, Robin Smith of Potts Camp, Heather Roberts of Potts Camp, Rachel Felkins of Horn Lake, Justin Mathews of Byhalia, Chelsea Kramer of Hernando and Jessica Jansen of Hernano participated in collecting the tabs this fall.