By Edward Lynn
Editor
EAGLE GROVE, Iowa — What began as an effort by a local 11 year old to raise funds for the Ronald McDonald house, to help sick children as part of a personal mission and a scouting project, has caught fire in the community. Exploding into a much broader effort that has taken the town of Eagle Grove and the local school system by storm.
A.J. Premo, a member of Boy Scout Troop 1059, initially placed four collection tubs at local businesses—Pop’s Pizza, Rails, The Smoke Shop Bar and Grill, and Robert Blue Middle School. In response to overwhelming community support, the troop has deployed dozens more collection containers, including 11 to Prestage Foods.
The initiative, inspired by Premo’s personal connection to the Ronald McDonald House—which supported his family when his older brother was born prematurely—aims to assist families who must travel to receive medical care for seriously ill or injured children.
“They help families who need a place to stay while their kids are in the hospital,” Premo said. “It’s important to give back because you never know when you might need help yourself.”
The effort caught fire after the middle school posted the Eagle’s first article about AJ’s project to its Facebook page, and teachers and administrators across the building began to organize, sparking enthusiasm among both middle and elementary school students. The two schools, which share a building, set a collective goal of 100,000 pop tabs by the April 21 deadline. As of an April 3 Facebook post from Eagle Grove Elementary, students had already collected 52,028 tabs—putting the students more than halfway to the goal.
Leading the effort among school staff are Mrs. Anderson with 11,175 tabs, Mrs. Olson with 6,138, Mrs. Wiederin with 5,743, and Mr. Ett with 4,841. If students reach their goal, they will celebrate by duct taping Mrs. Everson to the wall.
Premo has participated in multiple service projects through scouting, including a previous effort titled “Putting Work Boots Back to Work.” He plans to continue his scouting journey with hopes of one day becoming an Eagle Scout.
“Scouting has taught me a lot,” AJ said. “I’ve learned how to cook, pack my gear, and take care of camping tools. It also teaches you how to be a good person.
Community members can drop off pop tabs at any of the designated locations. Larger donations can be arranged through the Premo family, through Scoutmasters Rick Dawson or Craig Voss, or at any of the drop-off locations. For more information about Ronald McDonald House Charities, visit www.rmhc.org.
