Michel McLeod, Suwannee County Farm Bureau, left, and Bob Hochmuth, Suwannee Valley Agricultural Extension Center with pop tops.

Suwannee County Farm Bureau, along with the Suwannee River Water Management District and the Suwannee Valley Agricultural Extension Center, have been collecting soda can tabs, or pop tops, to donate to the Tallahassee Ronald McDonald House.

Michel McLeod, county secretary at Suwannee County Farm Bureau, said last year the 10 different county offices in the district collected enough tops to pay for one month of electric service at the Ronald McDonald House in Tallahassee. 
The project is known as the “Ronald McDonald House Beverage Pop Top Project.”

“One pop top off a soda can has more aluminum then the actual can itself,” said McLeod.

Last year, Suwannee County Farm Bureau and the other offices donated nearly 100 gallons of pop tops to the Ronald McDonald House. McLeod said this year the Suwannee County office wants to increase the amount they contribute to the donation.

“Last year we only had one bucket in our office, this year I have tried to start spreading out,” said McLeod

The offices of Suwannee County Farm Bureau, 407 Dowling Ave. SE Live Oak; Suwannee River Water Management District, 9225 CR 49 Live Oak; and Suwannee Valley Agricultural Extension Center, 7580 CR 136 Live Oak; all have buckets out for collection of the pop tops.

“We are happy to partner with the Farm Bureau in collecting these can tabs to help support the Ronald McDonald program,” said Bob Hochmuth, Extension agent at Suwannee Valley Agricultural Extension Center.

Sarah Carte, vice-chair for Florida Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee said the county offices in the district have always donated to the Ronald McDonald House.

“The pop tops are a good way to get the different Farm Bureau members within the counties involved in with the Ronald McDonald House,” said Carte.

The pop tops will be delivered to Tallahassee’s Ronald McDonald House on Feb. 19, but Suwannee County Farm Bureau will collect tops long after that.

“We will gladly take pop tops after the 19th for the next year’s donation,” said McLeod.