For more than a quarter century the humble little tab found on the top of aluminum drink cans has meant freedom for young Manitobans facing mobility challenges.
The Tabs for Wheelchairs program began in the spring of 1998 when Holy Cross School in Winnipeg began saving tabs. By fall of that year, there were another seven schools that joined the cause.
The first specialized wheelchair was presented in the spring of 2000 to Carly, a five year old with cerebral palsy, who needed a specialized wheelchair to attend Kindergarten.
After the presentation was picked up by media outlets, participation in the program exploded and now there are approximately 200 schools and 300 business and organizations which collect the tabs across the province.
Locally, the Tabs for Wheelchairs initiative is championed by Rachel Goy
“For myself, I know personally how important it is for a child to have the proper equipment to meet their daily challenges, so I have been collecting tabs for this program for a very long time,” Goy said.
“Over the years, I didn’t always know where to leave them, so while I was employed with Dauphin Co-op, I decided to become more actively involved in the program. I started promoting the Tabs for Wheelchairs program through Co-op and I asked that collection bins be located at two of the stores. Then I began bringing bags of tabs to Winnipeg whenever I was making that trip.”
Recently, Goy accepted a sizeable donation of tabs from the family of eight-year-old Olivia Morrisseau, who lives with cerebral palsy.
The condition, Olivia’s grandmother Connie Morrisseau said, means that things most people take for granted, such as walking, talking or even putting on shoes takes Olivia a little longer to accomplish. She added the challenges have taught her granddaughter creativity and perseverance.
As Olivia grows, those challenges will increase, and that is why Connie decided to get more involved with the program.
“Five years ago I decided that I would collect tabs for a wheelchair,” she said.
“My thought then was that someday Olivia may need one to keep up with her friends when there is outings at school. Olivia loves being around her friends.”
Just recently, Olivia received her first wheelchair, a loaner from Specialized Services for Children and Youth (SSCY) through the Manitoba Possible Wheelchair Program.
“So Olivia and I would love to give back. Although she didn’t receive her wheelchair through tabs, it’s something we wanted to do,” Connie said.
“We collected two water jugs full of tabs. So many people have cheered Olivia on, family, friends and teachers, now Olivia and I want to be the people doing the cheering for someone else. Kindness doesn’t require running fast, or lifting heavy boxes. It just requires an open heart and this describes Olivia to a tee.”
The collection was not something the two undertook on their own as an army of family and friends joined the effort.
In fact, Olivia’s great aunt Talinna Kuchma from Sydney, B.C., was home for a visit and paid extra for her flight in order to transport a suitcase full of tabs.
“Last summer, I had the privilege of my granddaughters Leia and Amelia visiting from Europe. When they watched me removing the tabs from all the cans that came through the house, they asked why I was taking them off. I explained that I had a great niece, Olivia, who had cerebral palsy. I explained to them that what they find easy to do, she struggles with,” Kuchma said.
“I also explained that at some point there was a very good chance she would need a wheelchair and by saving these tabs it helped to supply wheelchairs. The girls are both very loving and empathetic, and immediately took on the cause on Olivia’s behalf. They are collecting them in England and Germany and sending them to me whenever somebody comes to visit. So some of the tabs that have been brought today are from them.”
Goy explained payment for the tabs has varied from 30 cents to 65 cents per pound, depending on the value of aluminum at the time.
There are approximately 1,500 tabs in a pound. The purchase of a $6,000 wheelchair requires approximately 14 million tabs, or about 9,500 pounds. For a $10,000 wheelchair, it’s approximately 24 million tabs, or about 16,000 pounds, she said.
Despite those large numbers, almost 70 chairs have been presented since the program began. The chairs are presented in June each year during an assembly at the Holy Cross School gymnasium.
Goy was lucky enough to attend the ceremony in 2024 where she met the two recipients and their families.
“It was an incredible and heartwarming experience,” she said.
“The bags of tabs are lined up along the walls. There are stacks of them everywhere and it is a pretty impressive sight to see.”
While Goy is no longer employed at Dauphin Co-op, the business remains as a drop off location for tabs for those wanting to contribute at both the Food Centre in Dauphin, and the Home and Agro Centre in Ste Rose. There are also collection containers at all schools in Dauphin, as well as Ste Rose School and the Watson Arts Centre.
Tabs can be removed from drink cans, canned fish, canned pet food and other food products. Any color of tab can be used, Goy said.
Since October of 2022, Goy has delivered more than 1,400 pounds of tabs to the Tabs for Wheelchairs Program. That’s approximately 2.1 million tabs.
“Removing and collecting the tabs is such a simple thing to do. I really appreciate that so many people are helping out, because every tab counts,” Goy said.
“So if you are having a gathering, a wedding, a backyard bonfire, please remember this important program and save those tabs.”
Anyone wanting more information on the program, or wanting to arrange a dropoff of tabs, can call Goy at 204-572-5102.
Fun facts about the program
• Donations of $20 or more can receive tax receipts.
• Tabs drop-off location and where all the tabs are bagged by the individuals at the Day Program is at Trailblazers Life Choices Inc. (1069 Autumnwood Drive).
• Western Scrap Metals Inc. (18 Sutherland Ave.) has a running account, so that any scrap brought in (any size from cans to old refrigerators) can be donated directly to Tabs for Wheelchairs.
• Wesman Salvage in Brandon (855 49th St. East) does exactly the same thing as Western Scrap Metals Inc.
• Average prize of wheelchairs is $4,000 - $6,000.
• YRC Freight transports all tabs from Holy Cross School to Western Scrap Metals Inc. every June at no cost to the Tabs for Wheelchairs program
• In 2018, the program received a generous donation of $30,000, which was used to purchase extra specialized wheelchairs for seven young people in Manitoba
• St. Boniface Bag Co. donates all the white bags.
• HT Mobility Medical (451 Henderson Hwy) is where all the wheelchairs have been purchased.
• Record single-year haul - a recent single-year drive brought in 23.5 million tabs (460 bags) collected by 188 schools.