Pop Tab Pandemonium pays off
September 28, 2012 2:50PM
Alex Caraynoff watches as Ronald McDonald pours pop can tabs into a huge carton during Pop Tab Dump Day at Lions Park. | submitted photo
Updated: November 2, 2012 6:05AM
Even though a week ago Saturday was downright miserable outside, people still came out to Lions Park in Minooka to donate their pop cans and pop tabs for Alex Caraynoff’s Pop Tab Pandemonium project.
Everything Alex collects during the year is cashed in and the money is donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Ronald McDonald House is near and dear to the Caraynoff family’s hearts because it’s where they stay whenever Alex’s sister Kaitlyn, who sustained a traumatic brain injury when she was 10, has to have medical procedures or surgery.
Alex’s goal is to someday collect six tons of aluminum through pop tabs and cans. This year he reached just more than three tons, which is a ton more than last year. It might seem like a lofty goal, but he intends to keep at it, said his mom Kelly Caraynoff.
The aluminum value of three-plus tons turned out to be $4,223, which all goes to Ronald McDonald Charities.
People came out despite the cold and damp weather, Kelly said. They brought tabs in everything from a small Dixie cup to an entire Chevy Suburban full of tabs collected by Five Star Cheer Academy.
“I can’t describe what it’s like for the community to come together for something like this,” Kelly said.
Plans are already in the works for next year’s event — Sept. 21, 2013, at Lions Park in Minooka.
Save both tabs and cans, Kelly said. They are trying to come up with a plan where they could collect the cans on a monthly basis so people don’t have to store them.
A huge thank-you to everyone who collected, brought and dumped tabs into the huge boxes and all the sponsors of the program.
Trivia Night for Special Olympics
Every year 3.5 million people with intellectual disabilities participate in more than 200 different programs through Special Olympics. In Illinois alone there are more than 21,000 athletes and more than 11,000 between the ages of 2 and 7, with and without disabilities, who participate.
Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and competitions and helps people with disabilities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in sharing their gifts, skills and friendships.
The Minooka Police Department will hold its annual Trivia Night to benefit Special Olympics of Illinois on Saturday at Chapin’s East in Minooka.
The event is always a riot. Some teams really deck themselves out, decorating not only their tables in the theme of their choice, but wear clothing to match.
The game is played with 10 rounds of trivia questions and the teams work together (or against each other in some instances) to come up with the correct answers. Getting there is most of the fun and frequently ends up with some pretty funny responses and a even a few loud discussions.
There’ll be appetizer platters for each team, door prizes, silent auctions and raffles. And a lot of laughter, of course.
To reserve a spot or table and for more information, call the Minooka Police Department at 815-467-2298 and talk with Beth Black or Kiedra Meece.
The cost is just $25 per person for a night of fun, and the money will help to support 21,000 Special Olympic athletes in Illinois.
The Special Olympic athlete oath is one that we all could adopt: “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
Reach Kris Stadalsky at writestuff56@comcast.net.
