Aluminum Cans for Burned Children of Northwest Ohio

Welcome to our web site!

On this site, we hope you'll find useful information about the Aluminum Cans for Burned Children (ACBC) of Northwest Ohio program.

ABOUT ACBC

ACBC was started out on the West coast by a Los Angeles firefighter named Patrick Patterson. Firefighter Patterson is credited with the successful start-up of the very first Aluminum Cans for Burned Children program. He saw an opportunity to save the aluminum beverage cans his fire station members were throwing in the trash. He took them to a local recycling center and then donated the funds to a local charity. That charity was the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation. (In 1971, eight-year old Alisa Ann Ruch died of extensive burns she suffered when hot barbecue coals she was standing near flashed. The Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation was established in Los Angles in her memory.)

Northwest Ohio's efforts to begin an Aluminum Cans for Burned Children program locally began in the year 1990. After multiple meetings in the main conference room at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center with many people from various organizations and groups, plans were made to have a public kick-off at the Walbridge Park Shelter House across from the Toledo Zoo on September 30, 1990.

WHAT IS ALUMINUM CANS FOR BURNED CHILDREN?

Aluminum Cans for Burned Children, or ACBC as it is more commonly called, is a special aluminum can recycling program conducted by northwest Ohio firefighters and local businesses. Money earned from recycling aluminum beverage cans goes into a special ACBC fund at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center and is administered by a Board of Trustees composed of medical staff, firefighters, and community leaders. Members of the board evaluate the needs of each young burn patient, then purchase the non-medical items or services -- items not usually covered by insurance -- that are essential to each patients recovery. These items might include special protective clothing that helps skin heal or bicycles that help youngsters exercise burned and injured arms or legs.

The fund is also used to provide burn prevention education programs for children throughout northwest Ohio and can help pay for costs associated with sending recovering burn survivors to a regional summer camp designed especially for burned children between the ages of 6 to 18.

ACBC IS CHANGING HELPLESSNESS INTO HELPFULNESS

Usually the first to arrive at fires and serious accidents, firefighters and paramedics witness time and again the tragedy of burn injuries. Sometimes they feel helpless when they see horrible burns on a rescued child. And they know first hand that the road to recovery is often long, painful and costly.

That's why many fire departments (both paid and volunteer) in many areas served by the burn unit at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center are raising money to meet the needs of young burn victims by collecting aluminum beverage cans at their stations.

THE BURN UNIT AT ST. VINCENT MERCY MEDICAL CENTER (SVMMC)

Located at 2213 Cherry Street in Toledo, Ohio, the Regional Burn Care Center at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center has been serving patients since it opened in December 1967 to treat acutely burned individuals and to provide rehabilitative care for all burn patients.

The original unit contained eight beds. It has since been expanded to a total of ten beds with the dedication of the Regional Burn Care and Reconstructive Center in 1982. There are four intensive care beds and six intermediate care beds. The unit is staffed by physicians, registered nurses, nurse aids, therapists, a burn educator and other health care professionals trained in this special field.

The Regional Burn Care and Reconstructive Center has treated over 10,000 individuals since it opened in 1967. Many patients return to thank the members of the burn team who worked with them and for them during their long rehabilitative process.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN ACBC?

Everyone! Parents and children, employees and employers, students and teachers, civic and community groups and individuals can participate in Aluminum Cans for Burned Children. Save your aluminum beverage cans and encourage your friends and neighbors to pitch in their cans too!

YOU CAN HELP -- WITHOUT SPENDING A CENT!

JUST TAKE YOUR EMPTY ALUMINUM BEVERAGE CANS TO

A PARTICIPATING FIRE STATION.