PINE GROVE – Something as little as a can tab can mean a lot of help for cancer patients and their parents.

Youngsters in Pine Grove School’s Gifted and Talented program proved that, by their participation in a community service project last year.

Youngsters in K-6th grades collected over 80 gallon bags of can tabs for LeBonheur Hospital and St Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis.

The tabs are pure aluminum, unlike the rest of the can, which is made of aluminum alloy and contains paint and other residue. The tabs are then sold to a recycling center to help pay for the costs of running the Ronald McDonald House, which temporarily houses cancer patients’ families while their children are patients at either of the two hospitals .

Students had various reasons for collecting the can tabs.

Said 4th grader Chloe Stroupe: “To help sick kids.”

In the words of 6th grader Alan Bullock: “It’s a good thing to help kids in tragic accidents and those with cancer and other diseases. It’s good to raise money to help them. My clinic is next door to LeBonheur. I want to help them like people helped me.”

Alleigh Alder, a 6th grader, took part “because it helps kids that can’t pay.”

Second grader Jake Childs said he collected the tabs “to help kids because we don’t want them sick.”

Kindergartener Ali Hollaway said she took part in the project “to help kids get better.”

And 6th grader Joshua Hopkins got involved “to help children that need chemo treatments.”

Said Pine Grove Principal Tony Elliott: “We have a few students and many faculty and staff whose lives have been touched by cancer and other tragedies. We felt this was a good way to give back to our community and help those in need Last year’s 5th grade collected the most tabs and were rewarded with an ice cream sundae party.

The collections went as follows: Kindergarten, 11 gallons; 1st, 6.5 gallons; 2nd, 9 gallons; 3rd, 12.5 gallons; 4th, 12 gallons; 5th, 20.5 gallons; and 6th grade, 8.5 gallons.