Pandemic won’t slow collections for worthy cause
To thank Shriners Hospital for all it has done, Thompson and Alicia Chadsey collect pop can tabs, which get turned into donations for the hospital
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed but not stopped a West Kelowna mom’s annual aluminum tab collection.
Every February, to celebrate her son’s birthday, Alicia Chadsey holds the annual Community Tab Collection for Shriners Children’s Hospital.
Instead of collection tubs at the Johnson Bentley pool, this year Chadsey has put up a poster and people can stop at the front desk to drop their donations of aluminum tabs found on pop and beer cans as well as on cans of cat food, soup, sardines, tuna and fruit.
Removing the tab from a pop can takes only seconds and pop and beer cans may still be returned for full deposit after the tabs are removed.
The collection is Chadsey’s way of thanking the Shriners for offering her family a choice in her son Thompson’s treatment.
After Thompson was born Valentine’s Day 2014 missing bones in his face, leg and foot, doctors in Canada recommended amputating the boy’s right leg below the knee, saying it would not be strong enough to bear weight.
Chadsey took Thompson to the orthopedic specialist at Shriners Hospital for Children in Portland, Ore., for a second opinion, and was relieved to hear doctors at Shriners could lengthen the boy’s leg, strengthen his ankle and work with his foot through a series of surgeries as Thompson grew.
For the past seven years Chadsey has been collecting aluminum pull tabs to recycle with the money going to the Shriners to support their programs for children.
As Thompson has grown, he has become more involved in tab collection.
Now an active seven year old in Grade 1, Thompson wanted to do the printing and pick out the pictures on the community collection poster for the pool.
“It’s been our labour of love but I really feel like it’s going to become his passion and pastime too,” said Chadsey.
Initially, Chadsey hauled the tubs of donated tabs to Shrine headquarters in Burnaby, but she now sells the tabs by weight to an aluminum recycler in Kelowna and gives the money to the Shriners.
Even though she calls ahead, she said they are still surprised when she shows up with close to 300 pounds of aluminum tabs.
Over the years, Chadsey’s tab crusade has brought in donations from near and far.
She recently drove to Coldstream to pick up a 20-pound community tab donation that filled her vehicle.
Chadsey will be driving Thompson to the Shriners Hospital for Children in Portland next week.
Doctors want to reassess Thompson and check his gait as many children have been backsliding during the pandemic.
COVID-19 has meant fewer days at school for Thompson and stopped his therapies.
Doctors in Portland will also follow up on Thompson’s March 2020 surgery to slice his tendons and straighten his toes and talk about ankle strengthening and leg lengthening.
If you can’t make it to the pool, Donna’s Fresh Café near the Westbank Library accepts tabs year-round.
As well, Chadsey will pick up tab donations.
You can contact her through the Thompson’s Tabs Facebook page at facebook. com/tabs4thompy.