Mary Stiglich has, since 2009, collected metal pull tabs from around Baker City to support the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho.

These tabs come from beverage cans, cat food containers or soup cans.

“Anything that has a tab,” she said. “I started it at one of our Lions Club get-togethers. By the end of the evening, I had a pile.”

And she’s continued, ever since, to make the rounds to businesses around town that have containers to collect the tabs.

“I’ve enjoyed it so much,” she said. “Ronald McDonald House is amazed this all comes from Baker City. The town has been so fantastic.”

But now she is moving from Baker City to be closer to family.

While she will no longer be collecting the tabs, she hopes people continue to pull those tabs off cans and fill the collection containers.

She also hopes someone else will take up the project of delivering the tabs to the Ronald McDonald House of Idaho.

Collection jars are located at The Salvation Army, Ryder Bros., The Dollar Tree, Black’s Distributing, Baker Elks Lodge, Idle Hour, Main Event, the VFW and the 41 Club.

What happens to the tabs?

Ronald McDonald House of Idaho provides lodging and meals for families who have a child being treated at a Boise-area medical facility.

Although there is a suggested donation of $10 per night, a family is not turned away for the inability to pay, according to the website rmhcidaho.org.

To support the mission, the organization raises money through recycling metal, including tabs.

In 2023, supporters collected over 14,000 pounds of recycling, which raised $3,816 for RMHC of Idaho, according to the website.

The tabs can be delivered to the

house at 139 E. Warm Springs Ave. in Boise.