2005 Year in Review

Tenboers collect bottles for Cancer Research

Anthony and Kayla Tenboer collect bottles after a basketball game.

Anthony and Kayla Tenboer discovered one night at a high school basketball game that the plastic pop bottles were five-cent return bottles from Iowa. They decided to begin collecting the bottles.

On the ride to cash in their collections the discussion began about what they were going to do with the money they received. Their mother, Sara, told the kids they could spend it at the store. But Kayla and Anthony decided they wanted to do something special with their money.

Different organizations and causes were discussed and it was decided to donate their money to the Research Foundation for Multiple Myeloma. They have a special connection with this research as their grandfather, Whitey Tenboer, recently passed away after battling this type of cancer.

Multiple myeloma affects certain white blood cells called plasma cells that are an important part of the immune system that produces antibodies to help fight infection and disease. Multiple myeloma is characterized by excessive numbers of abnormal plasma cells in the bone marrow and is a progressive blood disease. Each year, nearly 13,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with this type of cancer.

To date the Tenboers have raised $23.90 and will continue to collect throughout the basketball season. Five-gallon pails are set up in the gymnasium for spectators to deposit their bottles.

If you would like to help with their collection, bottles can be left at 307 South Orange Street on the porch until February 28, 2005.

by Dawn Zuidema, theCity1.com
January 31, 2005