We’re 6 months into our 30 for 30 campaign and having so much fun engaging with and getting to know some of the local charities in Charleston. Here’s a recap of what we’ve done so far:

Ronald McDonald House Pop Tab Collection

This was the project that kicked off our 30 for 30 campaign, back in March. We’re collecting pop tabs throughout the year and will be donating them to the Ronald McDonald House of Charleston to help provide funds for the needs of their residents.

Lowcountry Blessing Boxes

We’ve made 4 donations to the Lowcountry Blessing Box Project. With boxes all over the Tri-county area this is an easy way to provide essential goods and hygiene products to those who have maybe fallen on some hard times. It’s a give what you can, take what you need program and there’s no easier way to give back to the community.

MUSC Children’s Hospital

We’ve also made 3 donations of toys and personal care items to the MUSC Children’s Hospital. So far we’ve been able to provide for Infants/Toddlers, Preschoolers and Teens.

One80 Place

One80 Place is on a mission to end and prevent homelessness in the Lowcountry. They provide job training, shelter, and Veteran services as well as help people get into permanent housing. By providing Move-In Kits, you can make the transition from the street/shelter to a new home much easier by providing some of the “necessities” that help make a house feel like home.

Teacher Lunch at Haut Gap Middle School

We were thrilled to be able to provide lunch for the teachers and staff at Haut Gap Middle School here on Johns Island. The staff was so appreciative of the gesture!

First Day Festival School Supply Donation

We purchased school supplies to donate to Charleston’s First Day Festival, which provides free items like backpacks, paper, pencils, and rulers – everything students need to start off a successful school year.

Educational Passages Mini Boat Donation to Buist Academy

Educational Passages provides students with an opportunity to build a five-foot long, unmanned sailboat, complete with GPS tracking. Once building is complete, they launch their boat and monitor it’s progress over the course of the year. We’ve donated a boat to the students at Buist Academy who will be working with their sponsor and the team at Educational Passages to learn about ocean currents, weather, technology and more.

Ronald McDonald House Breakfast

Some of our office staff took some time out of their morning to head over to the Ronald McDonald House to prepare breakfast for their residents. Ronald McDonald House provides 3 meals a day – at no cost – to their residents.

Lunch for Johns Island Firefighters

We paid a visit to our local fire station on Maybank Highway and dropped off lunch for the firefighters there, as a way of showing appreciation for all they do. In addition, by purchasing lunch through Firehouse Subs, a portion of our purchase will go to the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, to be used to provide lifesaving equipment to first responders.

Animal Adoption

So far, we’ve sponsored the adoption fees for two special dogs, currently available for adoption at Pet Helpers. Our hope is that, by covering the adoption fees, we’ll help remove any obstacles for adoption once these sweet pups find their perfect forever families. (PS – Both are still up for adoption at Pet Helpers!)

Local School Sponsorships

We have really enjoyed having the opportunity to work with some of our local schools this year, especially those where some of the younger members of Classic’s family attend. This year we are pleased to sponsor the College of Charleston Symphony Orchestra and the Stiles Point Elementary’s Fall Festival.

Charleston County Art Teacher Wish List Fulfillment

We all know that teachers are underpaid and too often have to use their own money to purchase supplies for their classrooms. We had the privilege of being able to purchase ALL of the items on the wish list for the Art Teacher at Buist Academy, who teaches art to approximately 500 students in grades K-8.

This has been a really rewarding experience so far, and we’ve got a lot more to go as we wrap up the year. Stay tuned to see how we round out our 30 for 30 campaign this year!

As Classic embarks on it’s 30^th year in business, we’re kicking off a special charitable giving campaign we’re calling “30 for 30.” Over the course of the year, we plan to participate in 30 acts of charitable giving or random acts of kindness – one for each of our 30 years in business. This gives us an opportunity to give back to many different organizations throughout the Lowcountry in a variety of ways – either through donations, sponsorships, volunteering or event participation.

We’re kicking off our campaign with the Ronald McDonald House Charity by participating in their pop tab collection. This is a collection that will be ongoing throughout the year. The pop tab collection is one of the simplest ways to donate to the house. Here’s a little bit more about the Ronald McDonald House Charity and the pop tab collection program:

What is the Ronald McDonald House Charity?

The Ronald McDonald House is a 32 bedroom “home-away-from-home” that provides a safe, welcoming place for families to stay while their children receive life-saving treatments at MUSC Children’s Hospital. Most of the families they serve have children battling heart issues, cancer or were born prematurely. The House provides everything you can possibly think of to families who really need to spend their time focusing on the care and treatment of their children. They ensure their guests have easy access to not only lodging so they can stay close to their children, but also 3 meals a day, snacks, laundry facilities and those essentials (like a toothbrush and toothpaste) that might get left behind. The House relies heavily on volunteers and donations for everything from household goods and supplies to meal preparation, and there are a variety of ways you can contribute.

In addition to the House itself, the charity also has a Ronald McDonald Family Room located at MUSC. The Ronald McDonald Family room provides a place within the hospital where families can rest, shower, or grab a snack and a cup of coffee without having to leave hospital grounds.

Why Collect Pop Tabs?

By recycling the tabs, the Ronald McDonald House receives a donation for the price of aluminum (whatever that price is at the time).The pop tab is the only part of the can that is pure aluminum, giving it a higher recycling value than the aluminum in the rest of a can. They are also clean, compact and easy to collect. The tabs are collected in a full size dumpster and picked up by a recycling company when full. The dumpsters are typically emptied 4 or 5 times a year.

How Do the Tab Collections Benefit the Ronald McDonald House?

It costs Ronald McDonald House Charities about $3,200 per day to house 32 families each and every night. The funds raised through the pop tab program go towards the operating costs of keeping the doors open 365 days a year for families in need. Last year, Ronald McDonald House Charleston made over $5,000 in pop tabs and all together have raised over $100,000 through the program.

If you are interested in learning more about the Ronald McDonald House Charleston and how you can help, check out their website.

Stay tuned to our blog and social media sites for updates on our pop tab collection progress and to see what our next 30 for 30 charitable giving activity will be!