SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine, Nov. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- CLYNK (Count and Crush, LLC), a national leader in bottle redemption and recycling services, annually helps support Cans for a Cure. Q97.9, Townsquare Media, Inc., launched the Cans for a Cure charity bottle drive over a decade ago. This year, donors from across the state raised a grand total of $100,068.06 for the Dempsey Center to help families impacted by cancer. Over $12,749 of the total raised was donated in bottles and cans, with 254,981 redeemable containers recycled.
Once again, two large contributors were young brothers from Parsonsfield, Maine. Bryce and Riley Deshaies (age 12 and 10) have been collecting cans and bottles to raise money for Cans for a Cure since 2009 when Bryce was three years old. His mother, Katie Deshaies, wanted him to be part of something that would make a difference in the community and she was already a fan of Cans for a Cure, so starting a bottle drive seemed fitting. Every year since they've rallied neighboring communities to assist with their efforts in gathering redeemable containers for cancer research.
At first, the family stored bottles and cans in their garage, transporting relatively small loads by car the 40 miles from Parsonsfield to South Portland. In 2014, Steve Estes, owner of P.Y. Estes & Sons, Inc., was impressed with the boys' operation and offered his business garage as a collection space. He also offered his pink dump truck, telling the boys that if they could fill it, they could take it to Portland for the delivery. Over time other local businesses have joined in on the transport effort.
After a series of thefts slowed them down in April, Bryce and Riley and their community bounced back with a 2018 haul of recyclables worth over $5,000. On October 10th, Bryce and Riley rolled into the donation area to deliver numerous truckloads of cans and bottles to the Cans for a Cure drive. A slew of family, friends, volunteers and the CLYNK team were on site to help unload well over 100,000 bottles and cans from their signature pink dump truck to CLYNK truck — to transport the containers to the processing plant.
"It was a special moment to see the boys smiling and waving at the crowd as they pulled in next to the CLYNK truck. Each year we are impressed by their efforts, but we especially loved their comeback story this year. It highlights their tenacity, the caring, and generosity of the community around them, and the way something as simple as a bottle drive can have a real impact for a cause. CLYNK is proud to support Bryce and Riley and of course the broader Cans for a Cure program." said Alison Vanderhoof, CLYNK's President, and CEO.
Bryce and Riley have some advice for other children looking to make a difference, "You have to have a banner," said Bryce, gesturing to their trailer adorned with a nylon sign that read "Drop off location for Cans for a Cure." He stressed the importance of advertising and spreading the word as much as possible, while Riley suggested that it also helps to "make a good company name."
Bryce and Riley are looking towards 2019. If interested in supporting their cause, drop off redeemable containers at P.Y. Estes & Sons, Inc. (102 Depot Rd, West Baldwin, ME 04091) or message Katie on Facebook to schedule a pick-up as needed throughout the year. As Katie states, "We can't do it without our family and friends, who help us every year. Together, we make a substantial and meaningful difference when we pull in on our big annual night."
About CLYNK
Founded in 2006, CLYNK is one of the fastest growing bottle redemption and recycling services in the country, processing under patented technology over 900 million containers since inception. With this technology, CLYNK is a true disruptor combining a myriad of bottle redemption and traffic driving capabilities on behalf of its partners. Unlike any other bottle redemption service worldwide, CLYNK offers a convenient and easy bag-drop system at retail that eliminates waiting in line, manual count, material separation, and reduces fraud; all concerns which have historically dampened redemption participation and customer satisfaction. CLYNK is also the only bottle redemption system that allows customers to create a personal account, accumulate a balance and use funds at their discretion (for cash, groceries, or electronic donations to community organizations). Headquartered in Maine, the company currently operates in Hannaford Supermarkets in Maine and New York and has licensed technology in Oregon, Iowa and New Brunswick, Canada. To learn more visit Clynk.com.
About The Dempsey Center
The Dempsey Center is a leader in Quality of Life care for individuals and families impacted by cancer. Founded in Lewiston, Maine by actor Patrick Dempsey, the Dempsey Center provides a personalized, holistic and integrated approach to cancer prevention, education and support. All services are provided at no cost to anyone impacted by cancer regardless of their socioeconomic circumstances or where they receive their medical treatment.
SOURCE CLYNK
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