ORLANDO, Fla. – The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida is a home away from home for families of sick children. The Pop Tab Program is a major community fundraiser for the organization. Since 2002, more than $263,000 has been raised.
The Roschen family, of Brevard County, collects pop tabs at home, at school and in the community because they know each one helps comfort families going through tough times. They're a former family of RMH; their daughter Macy spent five months in the NICU at Florida Children's Hospital, and they call the RMH a godsend.
"It was a relief when you went to bed at night, you were able to look out the window at the hospital and know she's there being taken care of by hospital staff, and the Ronald McDonald House staff is here to take care of us," Christy Roschen, Macy's mother, said.
This year, The Villages Elementary of Lady Lake came out on top in the Pop Tabs Program with more than 1,100 pounds of pop tabs. Here's a look at this year's top pop tabs winners county by county:
2018 Winning Schools by County
Brevard
Imperial Estates Elementary - 880 lbs
Flagler
Belle Terre Elementary - 263 lbs
Lake
The Villages Elementary of Lady Lake - 1,182 lbs
Marion
Stanton-Weirsdale Elementary School - 67 lbs
Orange
Sunrise Elementary - 138 lbs
Osceola
Lakeview Elementary - 295 lbs
Seminole
Geneva Elementary - 472 lbs
Volusia
Burns Science and Technology Charter - 280 lbs
2018 total pounds collected by all participating schools: 10,236
2018 total participating schools: 143