New Year idea: Take your cans to Parkrose

Have a collection of return-deposit bottles and cans stacked up from the Holidays? Take them in on Saturday, and help Parkrose students …

Arleth Acosta and Georgina Ramirez, members of the Parkrose High Choir, collect cans from a donor.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

With three holidays within weeks of each other at the end of the year, many folks end up with lots of deposit-return cans and bottles.

Don’t throw them away! Take them to Parkrose Middle School on Saturday, January 7 – where volunteers will take them in and redeem them, and use the money to help fund activities and clubs.

The monthly “can sorting party” is in full swing, at Parkrose Middle school.

Continuing the long-standing effort started years ago by Dave “Can Man” Luce, Patty Meighen says she’s now in her sixth year coordinating the monthly event.

After a borrowed trailer gave out, the Parkrose Educational Foundation and the Parkrose High Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) gave the volunteers a grant to build a trailer designed specifically to haul bottles and cans, Meighen pointed out.

Greg Meighen stands behind the efforts of his wife, Patty Meighen, at bottle and can redemption events.

“Not only does the ‘can drive’ help provide funds for student organizations, the Parkrose High Choir is helping us this month; it gives students who participate the opportunity to learn that when they work, their club or organization directly benefits from their efforts,” Meighen told East Portland News.

These first-Saturday-of-the-month collection events in outer East Portland also support the Senior All-Night party and PTO Scholarship Fund, observed Meighen.

“And, we’re always looking for companies, organizations, clinics, and households that have large quantities of deposit-return soda cans, beer bottles, and water bottles; we’ll come by and put a collection barrel at their location, and empty it for them when it’s filled,” Meighen smiled.

Parkrose High Choir members, parents, and sponsors, show some of the clans they collected at a recent event.

What keeps her making this volunteer effort, even though she has a full-time job and family? “My husband, Greg, and I do it because we’ve found that it’s amazing how tremendous an impact an individual’s donation of time and volunteering can make in our community,” responded Meighen.

The Parkrose Bronco Boosters Bottle & Can Drive will be held on Saturday, January 7, from 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Parkrose Middle School front entrance, at 11800 NE Shaver Street, 97220.

For more information, or for “barrel service”, contact Meighen at pmeighen@hotmail.com.

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