Aiming High piles up millions of pop tabs

By KEVIN HOWELL
LISBON— The Family Recovery Center’s Educational Department program, Aiming High, has once again collected pop tabs at the Columbiana County schools this year.

In its third year of collecting, Aiming High has already topped the previous two years’ totals with two weeks remaining in the project.

Prevention Specialist Kelly Seddon estimated that over 3 million tabs equaling nearly 2,800 pounds will have been collected by the end of the project, topping last year’s 2.8 million at 2,140 pounds. She said that the total money generated would probably be the same, though, at $1,800.

Proceeds from the recycling of the pop tabs will be used to send county youth to a leadership camp in June and further their participation in the Columbiana County Youth Leadership Coalition, which benefits the schools, according to Seddon.

“The students take what they learn at the camp and apply it in the schools,” she said. “Its something that benefits more than just the students participating.”

Working with students in grades first through sixth in all the Columbiana County Public Schools, Seddon and the center’s other prevention specialist, Jess Krulik, have assisted over 3,500 students this past school year in programs that deal with issues including peer pressure refusal; alcohol, tobacco and drug use; bullying; positive decision-making; friendship development; and healthy lifestyle choices.

Required to participate in a community service project as part of Aiming High, students collect the pop tabs, which proceeds had been donated to the Ronald McDonald House the previous two years.

“This is something that everybody can participate in,” Seddon said. “It’s unique and the students seem to really enjoy it.”

Although the collection will end with the school year, there is no reason to stop collecting for next year, Krulik said.

“Students save tabs from one year and turn them in the next,” he said. “They’ll bring in bags of them before we even start the collection.”

The school that collects the most tabs will be awarded a pizza party and a performance by the Dazzling Mills Family. The winner will be announced May 29.

Despite a lack of funding for the Aiming High program for the 2008-2009 school year, the Family Recovery Center is actively seeking alternative funding to continue the program in Columbiana County.

Kevin Howell can be reached at khowell@salemnews.net