Jerusalem Township boy collects jeans again to insulate homes

4/21/2010

Erek Hansen - the Jerusalem Elementary fourth grader behind collecting 1,684 denim items last year to make donated insulation for houses in areas affected by natural disasters - is at it again.

Along with a denim collection under way through Friday at Starr Elementary, two drives will start tomorrow, Earth Day. Used denim items can be dropped off during business hours at the dental office of Dr. Stephen Branam, 3140 Dustin Rd., Oregon, and at Once Upon a Child, 194 E. South Boundary St., Perrysburg.

Other drives are planned to help Erek reach his personal goal of collecting 6,000 denim items this year, enough to insulate a dozen homes. The boy is working with Cotton Inc., an organization that recycles denim into insulation.

Last year, Erek, 9, of Jerusalem Township collected 1,055 pairs of jeans after reading about the effort in National Geographic Kids magazine.

First Solar, Inc. in Perrysburg Township added another 600. National Geographic Kids paid for him and his mom, Amy Hansen, to go to Washington as one of the largest individual donors.

Erek and his family will hold these donation drives:

•1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Wal-Mart, 3721 Navarre Ave., Oregon.

•10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 1, Audio/Visual Classroom Center, Owens Community College.

•10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 22, Kroger, 3301 Navarre Ave., Oregon

•Noon to 6 p.m. June 4 and 5, Showcase Cinemas Levis Commons, Perrysburg.

•10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 11 and 12, at Erek's house, 315 North Teachout Rd., just south of Corduroy Road in Jerusalem Township.