Solomon: Small acts of kindness make a big difference
Valley Voices
Courtesy photo
Five years ago, while working with Cameron Advanced Mobility, I had an interaction around the campfire in Moab that has since garnered a global response. It highlights that even the most dedicated warriors embody kindness in this season of giving and joy.
CAM has taught tactical driving, vehicle recovery, navigation, and field repairs to U.S. Military, Foreign Military, State Department groups, professional off-road racing teams, and civilians for the last 20 years. This particular trip was one of CAM’s austere driver training courses in Moab with members of an elite military unit just before a deployment
After driving the trucks all day 鈥� stopping for repairs and assisting each other in navigation or recovery when necessary 鈥� we would set up camp, build a fire, share a meal, and enjoy a few beverages while telling stories and getting to know one another. This routine serves as an exercise in mental health and personal relationship building, as much as it is about teaching skills that contribute to saving the lives of our military personnel.
While standing around the fire on a trip, one service member noticed me pulling the tab off my can and placing it in my pocket. He immediately asked, “Why are you doing that?”
“Every five gallons helps get a wheelchair for a kid,” I replied.
Support Local Journalism
“Really? How does that work?”
I explained that the Shriners, an extension of Freemasonry, began collecting aluminum tabs for recycling in November 1989 when the Helma Court No. 64 Ladies Oriental Shrine of North America founded the Aluminum Tab Collection/Recycling Project. The money raised from these tabs supports the 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children across North America, providing free orthopedic and burn care to children. The funds are used for transportation, hospital and patient necessities, and children’s entertainment.
As I wrapped up the explanation, the student began pulling and handing me a tab from his can. I looked up to find Webb and Charles, lead mechanics and instructors for CAM, busy washing the potato salad container and cutting a slit in its lid. Seeing my furrowed brow, Webb offered, “If it helps the children, then we are all in.”
On our very next trip, while setting up the kitchen at Camp 1 for the week, Ken Cameron, owner of CAM, noticed Charles setting out the potato salad container and inquired about our new initiative. Charles explained and from that point on, CAM has been collecting can tabs on all the trips. Each year, I receive a call from Webb or Ken asking me to come pick up the year’s collection.
If you’re wondering, the tabs are valuable because they are made of high-quality aluminum and are easier to collect in large quantities than whole cans. Here are a few data points for reference:
- One pound of aluminum is equal to about 34 empty cans or 1,400 pull tabs.
- A gallon-sized bag of tabs is about 2.5 lbs or 3,500 tabs.
- Five gallons is about 12.5 pounds or 17,500 tabs.
With these facts in mind, when Ken calls to share that he has 20 gallons of tabs for me to pick up each year, that equates to 70,000 can tabs, weighing 50 pounds.
Over the last few years, the camp dinner potato bucket has expanded and some of the students are collecting and sending tabs from their deployments all over the world.
Ken is as excited about supporting the Shriners Hospitals for Children mission as he is about driving out of camp with no moon and no lights, utilizing stars and night vision to traverse the desert.
I share this story with you for several reasons:
First, this is the season of giving and of thanks. I would like to thank Ken, Webb, and Charles, with CAM Mobility for their passion in training our military elite, ensuring they are fully prepared for whatever roads they travel.
Second, I would like to thank Castle Lodge #122 in Eagle. In addition to the Masonic Toy Store and Second Chance Scholarships, Castle Lodge has been quietly collecting bags of can tabs to deliver to the Shriners in Grand Junction for years.
Finally, I would like to thank the men and women who sacrifice their personal lives in the defense of our country. The effort it takes to incorporate a seemingly small gesture like saving the tab from their cans 鈥� while deployed in some of the most dangerous areas of the world 鈥� demonstrates the truly selfless nature of our United States military personnel.
