A Timmins boy thinks his work over the last couple of years will bring hope to families in need.
Aiden Boychuk, 12, recently donated two large bags of pop tabs to the March of Dimes office in Timmins. The donation will be shipped off to the charity's main division and help buy wheelchairs and other assistive devices for people.
"I just think it brings so much hope to many families who don’t have the best income," said Aiden.
The Grade 7 student at Roland Michener has been collecting the aluminum tabs for about a couple of years.
“Low-income families, they may struggle to afford a stroller because they’re very expensive, very pricey, and they’re a need,” he said.
The effort started at Golden Avenue Public School, where Aiden was in the autism program and the class was collecting pop tabs prior to the pandemic, explained his mom, Sylvie.
When students were out of class during the pandemic, the Boychuks never stopped accumulating the tabs. They even connected with a woman on Facebook who was also collecting pop tabs.
“The lady that contributed a good portion of that wanted to make sure that it came to the March of Dimes and not a recycling plant for the benefit of somebody else," said Sylvie.
The March of Dimes accepts pop tab donations year-round. The aluminum is recycled and the tabs generate cash for the charity's Assistive Devices Program and DesignAbility program.
It takes about 1,267 pop tabs to make one pound, which is sold for about 15 cents, according to the organization.
Brandy Saylor, March of Dimes vocational rehabilitation specialist, said Aiden's donation will be put to good use.
The Timmins division, she said, is with Employment Services and helps connect people with disabilities with jobs.
“If there are any employers out there looking to take a stand to hire somebody and get the assistance from us, we’d love that. We continue to accept donations of pop tabs, so if anybody’s inspired by Aiden’s story to bring them — we’ll definitely be here to take them,” Saylor said.
