Teenager Makes Largest Donation of its Kind to Rochester Ronald McDonald House
A 16-year-old boy who has been staying at the Ronald McDonald House here in Rochester is doing something incredible to "pay them back."
Seth Bayles, a 16-year-old from Bristol, Wis., has an autoimmune disease that is so rare that it doesn’t have a name and there is no cure. He's been traveling with his family every nine weeks for treatment at Mayo, and staying at the Ronald McDonald House for weeks at a time. He says he found a "home-away-from-home" environment at the Ronald McDonald House, and set out to do something amazing to give back.
Last month, the Ronald McDonald House launched its historic $16.5 million campaign (Love Tremendously, Hope Exceedingly) announcing to nearly double its size to serve more families.
Seth knew that a the House receives money from recycled pop tabs, so he started a pop tab drive in his hometown (population 4,000) with a huge goal of a million tabs. On Monday, July 10, at 11 a.m. the public is invited to watch Seth bring the donation in a U-Haul at the Ronald McDonald House.
According to the Ronald McDonald House, they receive around $10,000-$15,000 annually from the recycling of pop tabs.
Because of Seth's incredible efforts, Mayor Ardell Brede is proclaiming the week of July 10th through the 16th "Pop Tab Week" in Rochester.