Zane Dorosh (left) donated a 45-gallon drum full of can tabs, on behalf of everyone who helped him collect them, to Morinville Lions Club President Francis Fryters (right) Aug. 17. – Lucie Roy Photos
by Lucie Roy
For years Lions Club members have been collecting can tabs and other aluminum items to be sent to the Devon Lions Club, from where they are sold in bulk. The funds received are placed in a wheelchair account to be used to purchase a manual or powered wheelchair for an individual in need nominated by one of the participating Lions Clubs. On Aug. 17, the Morinville Lions Club received their largest donation in 65 years; a 45-gallon drum filled to the top with the aluminum pull-tabs.
Donor Zane Dorosh said his family has been collecting can tabs for five years from friends, family, and anyone who got word they were collecting them. Dorosh said they would bring him can tabs in all shapes and sizes and in all sorts of container.
Morinville Lions Club President Francis Fryters brought a dolly and ramp to Dorosh’s home to load the thousands of pull-tabs onto a truck in order to take them to the Lions temporary storage area.
Fryters said he believes the drum to be the largest single donation in the 65 years the club has seen and was grateful for the donation. “[I’d like to offer] a huge thank you to [Mr.] Dorosh, his family and friends for their generous donation for the Lions Club Can Tab Wheel Chair Project,” Fryters said,” adding every 450 pull-tabs equals one pound of pure aluminum, which is easy to recycle. “[T]heir size allows for thousands to be collected without taking up much room. People from across the province pass along bags and boxes of collected pull-tabs and they eventually make their way to organizations who recycle them.”
Lions Clubs, including Morinville, participating in the pull-tab program are eligible to receive funding from the account to go towards the purchase of a wheelchair in their community.
The wheelchair is provided on a permanent loan to the individual in need. They sign an agreement with the Lions Club, who retains ownership and provide ongoing inspections and maintenance on the wheelchair.
Once the individual no longer requires the wheelchair, it is returned to the Club and available for others in need.
