You may never think about the pop tab that cracks open a can of soda. One Bay area man used hundreds of them to make a difference in his community.
Earl Barker has collected 60 tons of soda pop tabs in his 87 years. Barker gathered tabs, cans, newspapers and magazines over the years. He sells them to a recycler and 100 percent of the money he gets goes to the children at Shiner’s hospital.
“We take the recycling down to the recycler,” Barker said. “They make the check out to the hospital”
Every three weeks, Barker collects and delivers about 700 pounds of aluminum cans. Barker’s wife, Sarah, said it’s pretty typical of the man she married.
“Every day he will say, ‘I’ve got to get busy. I must get something going. These children need our help,’ ” Sarah said.
Barker was also recently honored for his 60 years of service as a Mason. He said he intends to keep going for as long as he can.
“I’m not a hero,” Barker said. “I want to help my little kids. I love them. You know how I get paid? The smile. The smile on their face. It just tells me everything.”