LAURA TARANTELLA/FOR THE EXPRESS Following months of collecting tabs, Liberty-Curtin shows off over 620 pounds of tabs.

PHOTO PROVIDED
Students of Liberty-Curtin are seen in front of the tabs collected with help from friends, family and community members.

BLANCHARD — Elementary students across Keystone Central School District have spent the last four months collecting aluminum tabs to support families staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Danville, and the results exceeded expectations.

The district-wide aluminum tab collection, which concluded last Thursday, brought together students from Liberty-Curtin, Mill Hall, Woodward, Robb and Renovo elementary schools in a friendly competition aimed at helping others.

When the campaign kicked off in January, Liberty-Curtin Elementary Principal Brett Umbenhouer challenged students to help the district collect 1,200 pounds of aluminum tabs. The effort, held under the theme “All In,” expanded participation this year to every elementary school in the district and students responded in a big way.

Liberty-Curtin Elementary finished in first place with 627.8 pounds of aluminum tabs collected. Mill Hall Elementary placed second with 332.8 pounds, followed closely by Woodward Elementary with 318 pounds. Robb Elementary collected 316 pounds, while Renovo Elementary rounded out the competition with 230 pounds.

Together, the five schools collected 1,824.6 pounds of aluminum tabs, surpassing the district’s goal by more than 600 pounds.

The collection drive has grown significantly since it began four years ago at Liberty-Curtin. What started as a single-school effort has evolved into a district-wide project that encourages students, families, local businesses and community organizations to work together for a common cause.

In a take away lesson for the students, Umbenhouer shared how coming together as a community can create a change. “We, as an individual, and as individuals, can come together to help others and everyone wins,” he said.

Throughout the campaign, students learned about the impact of their donations through educational materials provided by the Ronald McDonald House, including a video emphasizing how small actions can make a big difference.

Umbenhouer ended the district wide assembly by calling on fellow principals to celebrate the accomplishments of their students as the school year comes to an end.

With more than 1,800 pounds collected this year, students across Keystone Central School District demonstrated the power of community service and the impact that small contributions can have when combined toward a larger goal.