Reginald Easter donating pop tabs to Ronald McDonald House Charities Arkasnas
Hope City Board Director Reginald Easter traveled to Little Rock yesterday to donate pop tabs to his friends at the Ronald McDonald House Charities Arkansas (RMHCA). These aluminum tabs are collected by RMHCA every year during the Pop Tab Pandemonium campaign to be recycled, and the funds are put right back into the organization to help care for the children and families who stay at the Ronald McDonald House while the children are receiving life-saving medical treatment. Director Easter has been a donor for many years now.
RMHCA members says they look forward to Easter's visits and describe him as someone who cares very much for the children. Emily Piechocki, Development Director for RMHCA, shared with SWARK.Today Easter's dedication to the cause. "Reginald Easter has supported Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas for many years," Piechocki said. "His pop tab collecting, volunteerism, advocacy, and donations are such a special way to help families here. Families stay at the House for free while their critically ill child is hospitalized. Donors like Reginald help ensure they have lodging, meals, and everything they need so they can focus their love and attention on their sick child. Families stay here from all over the state and surrounding states and we are completely funded by local donations." Yesterday, RMHCA members were as delighted as always to see Easter when he arrived to make his donation, and they gave him some RMHCA mementos: a t-shirt, golf balls, hand sanitizer, and even a RMHCA mask.
When asked what prompted him to begin collecting tabs and donating to RMHCA all those years ago, Easter quickly replied, "I just wanted to help the children." He said he has always been involved in organizations who support children, even volunteering to be a Watchdog for local schools, but these children who are dealing with severe health conditions, plus the ensuing treatments, motivated him to do more than just donate. "These kids are going through so much, they need all the help we can give them," Easter said. "Sometimes, they might need a little cheering up to help them get through the day. When I go to the Ronald McDonald House to donate, I occasionally get to visit with the kids, so I try to be cheerful and make them laugh." Easter has taken it a step further, though, and gone above and beyond donations and visits to support the children. Some years ago he began shaving his head as an act of solidarity, demonstrating to those children who are self-conscious about losing their hair to treatment that, in his words, "You don't need hair to be pretty."
Easter says over the years, others around town have begun collecting tabs, as well, and people are often delivering bags of tabs to his home or work for him to take with him on his next trip to Little Rock. He says to keep 'em coming! He is planning on continuing this endeavor and says the more tabs he can provide to RMHCA, the more funds they have for the children. For those around town who haven't heard of this until now, he invites any and everyone to save those pop tabs, and he will even deliver them when he makes his periodic sojourn to the RMHCA for this great cause. For some, like the children receiving treatment and their families who reside at the RMHCA, this is the most worthy cause of all.
To find out more about Pop Tab Pandemonium, visit their page HERE, and to learn more about the Ronald McDonald House Charities Arkansas, click HERE.
