Bottle caps for chemo hoax hits Scott County

Several groups in Scott County recently pitched in to give cancer patients a fighting chance. But a deceitful twist could mean their generous efforts go to waste.

Community groups ranging from church congregations to high school Beta Clubs collected thousands of plastic bottle caps over the last six weeks.

"The belief was that for every plastic cap we collected, it would be recycled and ultimately the money would help pay for chemotherapy for cancer patients," said Dennis Ford, pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Oneida.

Ford said the charitable idea came from members of the church who visited relatives at a nursing home in McCreary County, Kentucky.  The nursing home had a collection bin set up with the claim that each donated cap amounted to one free minute of chemotherapy for those who cannot afford treatment.

The effort to collect plastic caps spread to the church in Oneida, then to Scott County High School's Beta Club.

"I called the nursing home to verify this was true," said Debbie Watts, a teacher at Scott County High School who sponsors the Beta Club.  "The Beta Club has community service projects, and this seemed like something that could really help."

Students collected piles of all types of plastic caps for weeks to help fight cancer.  The group filled bags with caps from soft drinks, water bottles, prescription bottles, and film canisters.  Toni Sexton, a senior at Scott County High School, also called the nursing home to verify the legitimacy of the donation program.

"I even called them a second time to find out if it needs to be in plastic bags or boxes," said Sexton.  "They said it did not matter, just to bring them up.  You know, we were going to be able to help so many people and get them what they needed because chemotherapy is expensive."

After weeks of collecting thousands of bottle caps of all types, an online discovery put a lid on the project.  The American Cancer Society's Web site stated the promise of chemotherapy for plastic bottle caps was a hoax.

Read the American Cancer Society's Release on Bottle Caps for Chemo.

"It was heartbreaking. It kind of embarrasses me that someone would have enough indecency to come up with a hoax like this," said Sexton.

The American Cancer Society Web site says this hoax has spread throughout the country since 2008.  The hoax has no clear motive.  The plastic caps are not worth any money and often cannot be recycled.

"The local recycling center said the caps are too small and jam the grid, so we can't even recycle them and help the earth," said Sexton.

Now the groups are trying to figure out what to do with all of the plastic caps.

Sexton hopes the hoax does not discourage people from contributing to legitimate charities.

"We try to help others and it comes up that you don't help anyone. It would really discourage someone from getting involved again," said Sexton.

"The church must not quit giving to causes," said Ford.  "Hospitality and generosity is what the church of Jesus Christ is about. We just keep giving. We're just going to trust the Lord with it. He will straighten all this out."

"At least we know Scott High's still got a giving spirit," said Watts.  "But I still can't help but wonder who is perverted enough to start something like this."

Sexton said her family's experience with the Ronald McDonald House's pulltab program provided additional reasons to believe the collection of plastic caps was legitimate.

"One of my cousins had Leukemia and died when she was three years old.  When she was at the Children's Hospital, my grandmother was able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House and be near my cousin because people had collected aluminum tabs from pop cans," said Sexton.

Unlike the plastic bottle caps, aluminum tabs are easily recyclable and hold a clearly defined market value as scrap metal.  However, values of scrap metal can vary widely and charities generally require massive amounts of the aluminum tabs to be profitable.  Therefore, individual chapters are able to choose whether or not they have the time and manpower necessary to accept donations.

A staff member at the nursing home in McCreary County said the facility is merely a drop off point for the plastic caps.  The home did not organize the collection.  A relative of one of the residents at the home set up the collection box with the claims of free chemotherapy.  That relative lives in Ohio, regularly visits a loved one at the home, and then hauls away the plastic caps.  It is unclear where the caps go from there, but the staff member said the relative does not believe this effort is a hoax.

The American Cancer Society's website says the skin care product company Aveda can recycle the plastic bottle caps.