Laboratory Technology Students Support Local Charity

On Tuesday, May 1, 2012, OCM BOCES students from the Laboratory Technology Program at the Irvin E. Henry Campus in Syracuse delivered approximately 135 pounds of “pop tabs” to the Ronald McDonald House of Central New York. The tabs were collected during the group’s seven-month campus wide effort with all Career and Technical Education (CTE) students.

Earlier in the school year, the students were learning about recycling and reducing as part of their science curriculum and decided to do some recycling of their own for a good cause. In October, the students began collecting pop tabs to support the charity. Ronald McDonald Houses collect pop tabs instead of whole aluminum cans as a way of raising funds for their centers. After the Ronald McDonald house collects tabs, they are brought to local recycling centers, where they are weighed to determine the value. The recycling center then sends the charity a check for the value of the tabs.

 The Laboratory Technology students involved in the collection efforts brought the donations to the Ronald McDonald house and also performed a variety of community service projects while they were there. Some of the tasks that the students completed at the home included helping to clean the kitchen, reorganizing the pantry and vacuuming hallways in the house.