Local business owner collects 150+ pounds of pop tabs for donation to Ronald McDonald House

John F. Houston, owner of Houston’s Lawn & Bus Service in Roanoke, has been recycling cans for many years. It wasn’t until his recent discovery of the pop tab pandemonium and the purpose behind it that he began to save the pop tabs for donation to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama.

The Ronald McDonald House started the pop tab recycling program in 2001 to provide a supportive “home-away-from-home” for families and their children who are receiving medical treatment at Children’s of Alabama, UAB and other hospitals. The money received from recycling pop tabs is used to fund utility bills and purchase supplies needed by families staying at the house.

While interviewing Mr. Houston, he recalls his wife, Deborah, asking with a smirk, “How long are you going to play with these cans and turn this yard into a landfill?” Sometime afterwards, she came home from work and joined him in pulling the pop tabs from the cans.

When he asked what she was doing, she replied, “Do you see my shirt?” She was wearing a T-shirt which read “Team Davis,” in support of Sherri Davis, a teacher at Knight-Enloe Elementary School, and her battle with cancer. As they conversed over pulling the tabs from the cans, his wife said she is proud of her supervisor. Of course, he asked why. She replied, “My supervisor called a staff meeting and emphasized to them that their job requires a team effort and each of them should work and support one another.”

He said, “I can’t help but to think of how many pop tabs I could have if she had helped me sooner. She was pulling those tabs faster than lightning, filling a 55-gallon drum in no time.”

In talking, I learned that a couple from Clay County, Mr. Charles and Mrs. Gwen, had stopped by his home on Nook Street to inquire about the property across from him and noticed the rack he built to sanitize the cans. In awe, they asked what it was used for. Mr. Houston replied, “I use it to wash the cans to get rid of any dirt or smelly odors before I pull off the pop tabs.” He offered to show Mr. Charles and Mrs. Gwen, who are pop tab collectors as well, how many he had thus far. They followed him to his shed. To their amazement, Mr. Houston already had 100 pounds of tabs.

He said, “They crowned me the pop tab king of Randolph County.” While smiling, Mr. Houston said, “I don’t know about being the king of pop tabs, but I make every effort to collect as many tabs as I can.”

He has a seven-day route within the city. He also rides a zero-turn from County Road 42 all the way to Hwy. 431. There is a yard on County Road 67, where he picks up cans. His longest walk is from the store in Welch to the Georgia line, which he has only walked twice so far. He also walks, rides a bike and a zero-turn on Double Head Road to the Chambers County line as well.

We briefly discussed an earlier article published in The Randolph Leader in which Mr. Smith says, “No one person, that I know of, can collect 100 pounds of aluminum tabs: this is a collaborative effort by people who care for the plight of affected families.”

Although, Mr. Houston has single handedly pulled more than 100 pounds of aluminum pop tabs, he enthusiastically agreed. He was careful to acknowledge the collaborative effort from those in the community who have provided him with cans they had collected. He says, “My friends in the community have afforded me the opportunity to donate such a large volume of pop tabs.”

Mr. Houston says,”‘Pray-Care-Share/We All Need Each Other,’ the slogan on my business truck, is the definition of the word collaborative.”

Mr. Houston stated, “I collect these pop tabs for donation to the Ronald McDonald House because I know the financial burden this disease can have on a family.” Since he has been collecting pop tabs, Mr. Houston said, “I am reminded of two scriptures. Genesis 50:20, ‘But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive’ and Philippians 4:13, which reads, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ Randolph County going wet is one blessing that has allowed me to help others,” he says.

Mr. Houston sends a special thanks to Cecil “Diamond” Day, who donated five gallons of pop tabs to him. A huge thanks to Leroy Dozier, Bennie and employees of NAPA, Mr. Hubert and Cordan Patterson of Patterson’s Auto Wrecker, Chris Holloway of C&H, Pastor Trammell and members of Canaan Baptist Church, Mr. Minnifield, owner and operator of Raven, Mr. Bill of Stevenson Insurance, Mr. Jamie of Meadows Farm, all his friends on the eastside and westside from Strozier Street to Seymour Drive and Stanley Avenue, and those of Millerville. He also recognizes the late Joe “Baby” McCray, who picked up cans too.

If you would like to join him in donating tabs, you may call him at (334) 757-0351 to arrange pickup of pop tabs or cans. You may also drop them off at his home on Nook Street. He does sell the cans to purchase gasoline, so he can continue to pick up cans and pull pop tabs to donate at the RMHCA. He will make his first donation to the Ronald McDonald House in February.