Tulsa family collects cans to raise money for children with cancer in hospice

TULSA, Okla. — Did you know cans — yes, like soda cans — can actually impact someone's life? A local family has been collecting them through donations from the community, all to raise money for kids fighting cancer.

Sophia Mobley, 10, was diagnosed with leukemia when she was just 7 years old, her family says. After two years of treatment, they say she is now in remission. But during her hospital stay, she met a friend.

Sophia's family says her friend wasn't given much longer to live and wanted to go on one last trip to the beach. That's when Kristen and Johnny Mobley had the idea to raise money for kids with cancer who are on hospice.

For Sophia, the mission is simple.

"I like helping other people; that's it," Sophia Mobley said.

The idea behind the effort is to give everyone a way to contribute, even if they can't give money.

"A lot of people can't donate money, but they want to help in some way. And with cans, most everybody drinks from cans and it just goes to the trash otherwise, so why not keep an extra bag, store it for us, and we'll come pick it up and cash it in and get the family some money to do what they want to," Kristen Mobley said.

Sophia and her brothers get right in on the action.

"And my brothers help get all the cans in there," Sophia said.

Kristen says the family and volunteers help collect cans from the community, take them to a scrap yard, collect the money and give it to the family they're helping at the time. She says volunteers also help find children in the Tulsa area who are in need, and the money raised can be used for anything they want.

"I get texts every day with people having just tons of cans, and they want to help, and they want to continue helping," Kristen said. "That's what's so neat. It's not just one donation, and somebody might have a stockpile, it's the people are making this choice every single day to save these cans for this cause for these children in our community."

Kristen says Cans for Cancer has had two recipients so far, and their next step is becoming an official nonprofit.

To learn more about Cans For Cancer or to donate cans, visit or message Johnny's Junk & Scrap Metal Removal LLC.

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