Mines Sorority Doubles Donations in Annual Ronald McDonald House Pop Tab Fundraiser

The Alpha Delta Pi (ADPi) sorority at South Dakota Mines celebrated a record-breaking year for its annual Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) fundraiser, collecting more than double the pop tabs during this year’s campuswide competition – a total of 212 pounds worth of tabs.

This is the fifth year the Mines chapter has hosted the Pop Tab Wars, which started in 2020. “It’s a fun tradition not only for our chapter but the school as well,” said Alayna Dressler, senior industrial engineering major and ADPi president. “It gives any student club or organization a chance to give back to their community.”

The annual fundraiser has grown each year, with more student organizations participating and a greater number of pop tabs collected. During the inaugural year, seven student organizations signed up, with a total of 100 pounds collected. This year, 13 organizations competed, bringing in more than 200 pounds.

“It is so amazing to see how this event has grown and all the campus support we receive,” Dressler said. “Supporting organizations like the Ronald McDonald House allows us to live out our values, strengthen our sisterhood and make a real difference in the lives of families who need it.”

The event is part of the sorority’s ongoing commitment to RMHC, its official philanthropy partner. All funds raised by ADPi throughout the year support RMHC and its mission to provide free, supportive housing for families with children receiving care. RMHC collects pop tabs and sells them to an aluminum plant to help with additional operating funds.

To make things fun, ADPi organized the event into a competition between student organizations. For a week, a table is set up in the Devereaux Library with each organization having its own bucket. Participants can contribute in several ways: donating pop tabs, giving cash, purchasing a pop tab t-shirt, or even dropping colored pop tabs, worth negative points, to sabotage rival teams. Winners earn bragging rights, a pop tab crown and trophy.

Service is a core value of ADPi, and the fundraiser reflects the chapter’s commitment to supporting families in need. RMHC has special meaning for many members.

“We personally have members of ADPi whose families have stayed in the RMHC houses in the past, including myself,” Dressler said. “We love giving back to the community and volunteering anywhere we can. This opportunity allows us to make a difference in the community and the world, encouraging others to do the same.”

In the past, the Mines chapter volunteered at the Sioux Falls House, cooking meals for families staying in the house and organizing and painting murals on the walls. The group is excited about the new Rapid City Ronald McDonald House being planned. 

Another major fundraiser event is the ADPiHop, the sorority's annual pancake feed for RMHC. This year's event will take place on Saturday, March 28, at the Moose Lodge.

“The invaluable partnership between the ADPi Sorority and Ronald McDonald House South Dakota is of lasting impact to our community,” said Rob Bradford, mission director for Ronald McDonald House South Dakota. “Their contributions enable the charity to provide complimentary accommodations for families at a South Dakota Ronald McDonald House. We value their dedication through several initiatives, including Pop Tab Wars and the annual Pancake Feed. This kind of partnership is more than just volunteering; it’s a relationship built on empathy, empowerment, and lasting impact. We thank them for their leadership and lifelong commitment to service.”