The AFU and Urban Legend Archive Classic Pull Tabs pull tabs brunvand Select a topic - - - - - - - - Home Searches AFU FAQ - - - - - - - - AFU Animals Books Celebrities Classic Collegiate Death Disney Drugs Food GIF Language Legal Medical Misc Movies Politics Products Religion Science Sex Songs TV - - - - - - - - Other sites

From: twcaps@tennyson.lbl.gov (Terry Chan)
Subject: Pull Tabs and Dialysis Addenda
Date: 13 May 1993 06:24:54 GMT

Having seen some recent posts on the subject, I thought I'd comment a bit on this UL.

As some of you more industrious readers may be aware, the classic UL of collecting "pull tabs for dialysis time" is termed bogus because as noted in Brunvand's _The Mexican Pet_:

1. Most stories involved a supposed beneficiary who, upon further investigation, turns out to be unheard of.
2. Local chapters of the National Kidney Foundation have denied that they have ever tried to establish any sort of fund raising drive for dialysis time.
3. Since 1973, the federal government has covered 80% of the cost of dialysis time and insurance companies normally cover the remainder.

The redemption UL has been a very confusing one for people because the National Kidney Foundation has at times sold stuff like Tootsie Rolls for *its own* budget, but never for dialysis time. As a result, there have been some individuals and organizations which may have been unfairly hurt by excessive cynicism on the part of more cautious individuals.

The salient detail that the benefit is for dialysis time for a patient. The first point shows how the pull tabs for dialysis UL is basically an less well-known version of the "Craig Shergold" legend.

As you may notice from the FAQ list, some people or places (such as the Ronald MacDonald House in Rochester, Minnesota) have indeed used pull-tabs as an internal fund raising effort. Whether you agree with it or not, the primary reason given being that they are more convenient to collect and store.

Nathan Ng from the University of Waterloo (located in Canada, the 50th or 51st state depending on whether you're from Alabama or not) forwarded me a copy of an article from the _KitchenerWaterloo Record_, 17 April 1993 where two men who are members of a subversive organization called the Elora Legion have raised about $35,000 (which is all that much in $US) to buy wheelchairs for disabled people. I posted an excerpt a couple of weeks ago.

In a 10 May 1993 article on the Clarinet newsgroup clari.sfbay.misc, there was a story that noted that the Northern California chapter of the National Kidney Foundation of Northern California is trying to raise funds via a vehical disposal program. Participants get a tax deduction by turning in a used car or truck. The tax deduction will help fight "kidney disease" and go to support programs such as emergency patient assistance, public education, research and a summer camp for children.

I hope this summary of recent developments about the "pull tabs" UL will help in clarifying some the issues revolving around this story, and that we don't throw out the baby with the bathwater, so to speak.

Terry "MMMM...aluminum" Chan