AMVETS with the help of the area school children have been collecting pull-tabs from aluminum cans for several years.  I am grateful for the efforts of teachers who have encouraged their students to participate in the past, and I hope this support will continue and grow.

    This valuable program is relatively simple.  It has been the practice of AMVETS to team with young people throughout the area to collect aluminum pull tabs from beverage cans and use the money raised through this program to support veteran causes.  Each teacher provides a container in which to deposit the pull-tabs.  The students collect the tabs from home, friends, or relatives to add to the collection. 

    This year, the money raised through the recycling of these aluminum tabs will be used for the sole purpose of providing ?Care Packages? to our service members overseas.  These packages provide much needed personal care items, entertainment and food items which are hard to come by in a war zone.

    The purpose of involving the children in this effort is to help promote Patriotism, Americanism, and good will.  Through this program the students become aware that even at their young age, they can make an effort that will impact those around them. 

   The children who participate not only learn the valuable lesson of recycling, but so much more.  They learn of the camaraderie that forms in a team effort.  Each day of the collection they learn about teamwork as they see their tabs accumulate with those of classmates. The best lesson however is one of simple giving; each student knowing that their conscious effort to collect the tabs will result in a soldier far from home receiving much needed and appreciated supplies.

   Many schools have been involved in a program called Character Counts which instills in our youth the traits of Caring, Kindness, Respect, Responsibility and Good Citizenship.  We, as AMVETS, are proud to be able to help promote these traits with our pull-tab collection project.

      I hope that you will support this program and take the time to explain to the students the full impact of their effort and participation.  As a veteran, I am extremely grateful for the support this project has received and I hope we can work together to promote Patriotism and Americanism.