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BOUQUET: "The Tab Man" Jim Brolin of Florence, Wis., is still collecting pop tabs. I have teamed up with Stacey Lantagne of Florence to support families served by the Ronald McDonald House.
Stacey's family has a personal connection to the cause. Several years ago, her family spent a month in Milwaukee when her grandson, Ezra, unexpectedly became critically ill. During that difficult time, her daughter and son-in-law, Kelsey and Skylar Newman of Kingsford, were able to stay at the nearby Ronald McDonald House while their 2-year-old son fought for his life next door at Children's Wisconsin.
Today, Ezra is a healthy 4-year-old boy and Stacey's family has made it their mission to give back. Each year, family members volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House by preparing meals for guest families or assembling snack packages.
Stacey has also joined forces with First National Bank & Trust of Iron Mountain, where community members can drop off pop tabs at any branch location throughout the region.
For her most recent delivery to Ronald McDonald House, Stacey collected an impressive 109,500 tabs. I contributed another 291,500 tabs, bringing my lifetime collection total even higher. Combined with the 2,100,600 tabs previously turned in, the grand total now stands at 2,501,000. Wow! More than 2.5 million tabs collected -- and now aiming for 3 million.
Collection locations include: 101 Bar & Grill, Northern Lites, The Filling Station, Tavern on Central, Hugo's Eats & Treats and The Gathering Palette in Florence; Bob & Jerry's in Kingsford; and Tom & Joe's Liquor and Stephenson Marketing in Aurora, Wis.
On behalf of myself and Stacey Lantagne, thank you to everyone who has contributed pop tabs over the years and continues to support this effort. Every tab collected helps support what is often called "The House That Love Built," providing comfort, care and a home away from home for families facing some of life's most difficult moments.
Lantagne encourages community members to continue collecting tabs and supporting the cause. "Let's continue to PULL together," she says, reminding everyone to "Pop It and Drop It!" at any of the collection locations throughout the area.
Ronald McDonald House Charities Eastern Wisconsin serves more than 1,500 families annually and offers 70 private guest rooms. The organization is part of a global network of more than 394 Ronald McDonald Houses operating in more than 60 countries and regions, supported by more than 280,000 volunteers worldwide. In addition to lodging and meals, families have access to a variety of support services, including pet therapy and other comfort programs.