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WEBVTT "THIS IS IOWA". ERIC: EVERY KOKE CONTAINS A JOLT. SOME SAY IT’S THE CAFFEINE. >> FOUR OR FIVE CANS PER WEEK. ERIC: EVERYONE IN ROCKWELL CITY SWEARS THE ENERGY’S REALLY IN THE FLICK OF YOUR WRIST. THEY ARE SO TINY. >> I HAVE ACTUALLY STARTED DRINKING MORE TOP JUST TO GET THEM. ERIC: FOR THE LAST DECADE, CALHOUN COUNTY DENTISTS PREACHING THE EVILS OF THE SUGARY DRINKS HAVEN’T HAD A CHANCE. >> YEAH. ERIC: BECAUSE OF ONE TEENAGER ON A MISSION. [LAUGHTER] >> THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE A FEW MORE DRINKS. ERIC: JACY MCALEXANDER’S THAT 17-YEAR-OLD WITH A CAT ON HIS LAP. >> THIS IS LUCKY. SHE HAS BEEN WITH ME THROUGHOUT MY TREATMENTS. ERIC: HIS FIRST LOVE SINCE SECOND GRADE. ERIC: YES, SHE IS PRETTY OLD NOW. WHEN HE WAS DIAGNOSED, WITH EWING’S SARCOMA. . ON THE BAD DAYS, SHE TRIES TO HELP ME THROUGH THEM. ERIC: AND HE HAS HAD PLENTY. SPENDING SO MANY NIGHTS AT THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE IN DES MOINES, THEY LITERALLY GAVE HIM HIS OWN SUITE. BUT THEY ALSO GAVE HIS PARENTS A SHOULDER TO CRY ON. >> HAVE SOMEBODY THAT I COULD TALK TO HIM ABOUT WHAT OUR FEARS WERE. >> WE CAN PUT A PRICE THEY HAVE DONE FOR US. ERIC: BUT ONCE JACY BEAT CANCER, THAT 8-YEAR-OLD WANTED TO TRY, RALLYING HIS COMMUNITY BEHIND A CURRENCY EVEN HIS CLASSMATES, WHO’D SHAVED THEIR HEADS, COULD LATCH ONTO. >> WE HAD DIFFERENT PLACES AROUND ROCKWELL CITY, WHERE PEOPLE COULD DONATE POP TABS AROUND BANKS. >> IT WAS HIS WAY OF GIVING BACK. ERIC: THE ALUMINUM FROM EVERY POP DEPOSIT ROLLING INTO THE BANK -- >> I THINK THERE ARE A FEW BEER TABS EITHER. ALSO, MAYBE. ERIC: WOULD BE RECYCLED FOR CASH, FUNDING THAT HOME WHERE JACY’S CHILDHOOD ARTWORK STILL HANGS. POP TABS ARE TINY. >> THAT PROBABLY TAKES US A GOOD COUPLE MONTHS TO FILL A HOUSE. ERIC: BUT JACY’S GOAL WAS MASSIVE. YES, A LITERAL TON. . WHEN YOU START DOING THE MATH, IT IS KIND OF CRAZY. ERIC: THROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL, LITTLE BAGGIES. BECAME BIG BOXES. >> IT IS LITERALLY SO MANY POP TABS. [LAUGHTER] ERIC: UNTIL JACY CALLED WITH THE NEWS. IT TOOK HIM 9 YEARS, BUT HE WAS SURE HE HAD HIS TO . YEAH, THE GARAGE HAS BEEN FILLING UP. ERIC: AND HE WANTED TO SAY THANKS. FROM HIS BED, IN, HOSPICE. >> IT IS JUST GOOD TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE ON MY SIDE AND HELPS TO KEEP ME GOING. ERIC: 17 HOURS AFTER HE TALKED WITH US, THIS 17-YEAR-OLD DIED. HE WAS WEAK, BUT HE WAS DETERMINED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY PERSON WHO EVER POPPED A TAD NEW IT MATTERED. >> IT ALWAYS FELT LIKE THEY WERE ROOTING FOR ME BEHIND THE SCENES. LOOKING BACK NOW COME I THINK YOU NEED THAT HE WAS CLOSE TO THE END. BUT HE USED WHATEVER ENERGY HE HAD TO TALK TO YOU. AND HE DID NOT REALLY TALK MUCH AFTER THAT. >> I CRIED, I HELD HIM AND TOLD HIM THAT I LOVED HIM. >> AND THAT WAS IT. [SIGHS] ERIC: UNTIL, JUST TWO DAYS LATER, WHEN LUCKY DIED OF CANCER TO >> YEAH. >> WE HAVE BEEN SAYING GOODBYE FOR SEVEN OR EIGHT WEEKS NOW. IT IS HARD. ERIC: A MONTH BEFORE HE DIED, THE HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR FINISHED HIS EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT ON MAIN STREET. BUT HE DIDN’T GET TIME. TO CASH IN ON THE ALUMINUM STOCKPILE IN HIS GARAG >> FOR US IT IS JUST CARRYING ON AN OLD FRIEND LEGACY. ERIC: SO THOSE SAME BUDDIES WHO’D SHAVED THEIR HEADS AS SECOND GRADERS. >> WHAT HE WANTED IS FINALLY GETTING DONE, IT IS A GREAT THING. ERIC: LUGGED BOXES SO HEAVY. THEY SPLIT. >> OH! THE BOTTOM BROKE ON ME! [LAUGHTER] ERIC: MAKING SURE EVERY LAST TAB COUNTED. >> IF SOMEBODY TOOK THE TIME TO PULL ONE OF THESE OF, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET HERE. ERIC: THE RECYCLING CENTER’S ALMOST DOUBLING HIS TON. DON’T GO AND NEVER SEEN THIS MANY POP TABS AT ONE TIME! ERIC: ASK HIS PARENTS, THEY WILL TELL YOU, 4.5 MILLION TABS ILLUSTRATES THE POTENTIAL. IN ALL OF US. DON’T IF A 17-YEAR-OLD KID COULD DO THIS, THEN ANYONE CAN DO SOMETHING FOR SOMEONE. ERIC: THE LAST FEW DAYS, IOWA 4HERS JUST ADDED A MILLION MORE TABS FOR JACY, AND THEY’D LOVE YOU TO ADD TO HIS LEGACY, DROPPING OFF MORE AT THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE IN DES MOINES OR AT FIRST COMMUNITY BANK IN ROCKWELL CIT A FEW HOURS BEFORE HE DIED, HE TOLD ME THAT EVERY TOP 10 REMINDED HIM THAT SOMEONE ACROSS THE STATE WAS RO