We thought it was time for another update on Kaylon Holt’s mission to collect and donate one million pop tops to the Ronald McDonald House in Columbus. Fittingly, some of his latest efforts are done in partnership with local McDonald’s restaurants.
The association between peer Kaylon Holt and McDonald’s foods began about a year and a half ago, when Kaylon learned about the Ronald McDonald House. As we have previously shared, Kaylon began collecting soft drink tabs to raise money on behalf of a friend.
Kaylon explains: “I had about 600 soft drink pop tops to help my friend’s sick father. The father died. I then asked for suggestions from my mentor, Mr. Mulkey McMichael. We discovered the direct association with Ronald McDonald House of Columbus, and a new chapter in my life has begun.”
As Kaylon found ready support for his efforts, word of his mission to support the charitable organization spread to three southwest Georgia counties. Soon, 13 collection sites had been established to collect donated pop tops. Excited about the project, Perry Wellness Center staff and peers, along with other supportive citizens, set up collection sites in their hometowns. Kaylon has also spread word of his mission through participation in road races in area towns and even participated in a Christmas parade in Buena Vista.
The first collection of pop tops delivered to the Ronald McDonald House totaled 110,000. This was followed by deliveries of 220,000, 360,000 and 630,000. In gratitude, the organization presented Kaylon with two permanent banners that have been placed in Rudy’s Happy Patch Market and the educational center at Perry Wellness Center.
As collection efforts increased, Tina Pritchard, morning manager of the Lamar Street McDonald’s in Americus, was contacted to explore ideas for further promotion of the donation effort. The store had already allowed a donation jar to be placed inside. Now, they looked at strategies for random promotion in random customer food bags at both the counter and drive-through.
Ms. Pritchard explained that any insert must be food-safe and all printed surfaces folded, so as not to be harmful to customers. She asked that Perry Wellness Centers representatives to bring her some inserts and her store would try to help out. After weeks of team designing, the first delivery of inserts was made to the local restaurant. McDonald’s agreed to use the inserts, and in-house printing will save money.
With the successful implementation of the marketing plan, the McDonald’s restaurant located on the Plains Highway also agreed to insert the information sheets in customer meal bags.
“The success of our relationship with McDonald’s continues,” Perry Wellness Center founder and CEO Stuart Perry notes. “I am so proud of this partnership with Ronald McDonald House, Perry Wellness Center, and Kaylon. Kaylon assures me the collection will soon exceed one million pop tops!”
In the first photo above, McDonald’s manager Tina Pritchard delivers Kaylon Holt a free hamburger in the first bag promoting his pop top donation mission. In the second photo, McDonald managers Bonnie Carnes and Jody Phyllips are presented by Kaylon with inserts for counter and window bags.