An average soda can tab weighs a bit over a hundredth of an ounce.

On Saturday afternoon, McDonald’s owner/operator Joe Pany showed up at the Walnutport home of Karen Bandzi to collect some tabs as a donation to the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

The total weight of the donated tabs?

About 609 pounds.

Bandzi, president of the Ladies Auxiliary to R.W. Fritzinger VFW Post 7215, along with her fellow members, has been collecting the tabs for about four years now.

As of this past June, Bandzi ran out of space for her car in the garage. Containers of soda tabs had taken up every available spot. Huge paint buckets and several barrels practically overflowed with tabs, a veritable sight to behold.

And all of this started with a brief note in the auxiliary newsletter.

“Our thing is to be out there to help the community and the veterans,” Bandzi said. “I do a newsletter, and I kind of just stuck that in there, that the auxiliary was going to start collecting tabs.

“We just started from there, with auxiliary members donating, then people from work, a few people all over the place.”

The collection of tabs will equal out to around a $450 contribution to the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House. The foundation offers a place for families to stay together while children are undergoing medical treatments far from home, in addition to supplying mobile medical units and grants to nonprofit organizations.

“I think it’s awesome,” Pany said after presenting a certificate commemorating the auxiliary’s efforts to Bandzi. “Over 600 pounds in four years, I think it’s great. The proceeds will go the (Ronald McDonald) House, where it will take care of the kids and the families.

“It’s an outstanding effort, and it’s well-appreciated.”

In order to load the tabs onto Pany’s truck bed, Bandzi, along with her Senior Vice President Michelle Minnich and chaplain/treasurer Sue Bortz, had to fill up some heavy duty Ace bags with the contents of the buckets.

Pany and his nephew, Tom Pany, loaded and secured the barrels and bags on the truck. Fortunately, they were able to fit each and every last tab.

“Well, girls,” Bandzi said as the last barrel was strapped into the truck, “it looks like we have to start over again.”

The auxiliary is already looking forward to its next charitable projects, with a Thanksgiving drive set to begin next month.

Chances are, Pany will be hearing from the group again. It might take a few years, but they’ll almost certainly be donating another truckload of tabs to help out those children and families in need.