3T Meats collects pop tabs for cancer patients

Cooper Tate is having a summer he is not likely to forget anytime soon, thanks to a summer project to help cancer patients that has drawn the attention of people all over North Texas and beyond.

Cooper, 9, vowed to collect soda pop tabs for a program run by Ronald McDonald House Charities that helps families with expenses related to cancer treatments. Cooper told his mom and dad, Wacey and Laci Cooper, and they decided to ask customers of their artisanal grocery store, 3T Meats, to start collecting and handing over their pop tabs.

“Our son has put a Volleman milk bottle up at the cash register for those who would like to donate pop tabs!” the Tates wrote on 3T’s Facebook page. “So when you’re beating the summer heat, next time you crack open that ice cold drink please consider saving the tab and bring into 3T next time you come see us! Mail ins are welcome. Whether it’s 1 or 100 he would love to have them!”

Within three days, Cooper filled 6.5 gallon milk bottles.

“My goal was to get a gallon and then we got all those,” he said last week, pointing to a metal washtub full to the brim - the equivalent of 20 gallons.

Word of Cooper’s project spread, and soon he was receiving bags of pop tabs from local customers, and people as far away as Wichita Falls and Graham.

Last week, Wichita Falls TV station KFDX/KJTL interviewed Cooper and urged viewers to bring their pop tabs to the TV studio, or mail them to Cooper at 3T Meats.

According to Ronald McDonald House’s web site, it takes about 1,128 pop tabs to earn 40-50 cents from recycling programs. Tate has already collected approximately 72,000 – enough to fill 20 gallon containers. The program accepts pop tabs from energy drinks, soup cans or anything with a metallic tab.

Cooper and his mom, Laci, will drive their pop tab haul to Ronald McDonald House in Fort Worth on Aug. 5, so bring your pop-tabs to 3T Meats at 1002 State Highway 79 South, across from Tower Extrusions, before that date, or mail them to 3T Meats, c/o Cooper; PO Box 21, Olney, Texas 76374.

“However many you bring helps,” Cooper said. “I just hope people know that we will do it again and start collecting them over the school year.”