Annual fundraiser is March 7
Members of St. Mary’s Boy Scout Troop 109 sort cans and bottles at a past collection drive. The troop is hosting the annual drive March 7 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. near Super Phipps. (THE WESTFIELD NEWS FILE PHOTO)
WESTFIELD – In the grand scheme of things, returning a can for five cents may not add up to a whole lot, but when you have thousands of cans, that five cents can have an impact.
St. Mary’s Boy Scout Troop 109 members are hoping to collect 70,000 cans and bottles during its annual drive March 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. near the Super Phipps store on East Main Street. For those scouts, every nickel is worth much more than face value.
“This is the largest annual fundraiser for the Boy Scouts, and we use the proceeds to help deliver a wonderful scouting program for our kids. Our scouts are very active in the community, they develop wonderful values, and have a lot of fun learning and experiencing new things. Our scouts enjoy camping and backpacking, and we spend a lot of time outdoors every year. Please help support these scouts — your friends and neighbors – by donating your returnable bottles and cans on Saturday,” said Scoutmaster Tim McMahon.
This year, those cans and bottles are worth closer to 8 cents each due to several generous sponsors who will match a penny per can.
Last year the scouts collected well over 50,000 bottles and cans, and this year they’re aiming for 70,000, which would equal $5,600. Proceeds are used to sponsor summer camp tuition, buy troop camping gear and pay for other expenses related to their activities, events, and service projects.
Bottles and cans can be dropped off at the scout tent near the Super Phipps sign in the plaza at The Westfield Shops. If you enter the Super Phipps parking lot near the sign, you’ll turn right and slowly enter a safe coned-off lane where scouts will unload your cans and bottles.
