Whether your motivation is keeping empty toner, inkjet or copier cartridges out of landfills or sending a deserving child to a special summer camp, Karen Thatcher, assistant professor of speech-language pathology at Ball State, is ready to convince you to join the ever-growing numbers of businesses that participate in the Heads Up Foundation's empty cartridge collection program.

Her family has been involved with the foundation for five years. Three years ago, she encouraged the campus chapter of the National Student Speech, Language and Hearing Association (NSSLHA) to take up the collection duties as a philanthropic program.

"It makes so much sense because these kids are our kids," Thatcher said, referring to the Speech-Pathology and Audiology (SPAA) program. "It's a nice fit for us to work with this organization."

Thatcher became involved with the program through her daughter, Abigail, who attends Camp About Face. Now 14, Abigail and another camper with a Ball State connection were easily winning the friendly cartridge collection competition two years running when they decided to step aside and let others have a chance.

"We were talking about how it wasn't really fair," Abigail said. "It was about raising money to make it possible for people to go to camp, not about winning."

It was at that time that Karen Thatcher approached the NSSLHA to take the program campus-wide. Now several offices on campus participate in the program, calling Thatcher when they have cartridges that need to be picked up.

Karen Thatcher then contacts Patrick Burton, the cartridge coordinator with the Heads Up Foundation's cartridge collection program. Burton makes a run to campus about once a month to pick up the cartridges to be recycled. 

Seeing Burton in action as he collects cartridges in the SPAA office at Ball State, you are immediately caught up in his passion for the program. While his official title is cartridge coordinator, his true calling is public relations.

"It's an easy program to be a part of," Burton said. "All you need is a collection box and a phone. You call me and I'll come pick them up."

Burton's enthusiasm is born of love — love for his granddaughter Katelyn Turner, the inspiration for the Heads Up Foundation. When Katelyn was born with a unilateral cleft lip and palate, Burton's daughter Kelly Turner and husband Kenny Turner saw the need for such an organization.

The Heads Up Foundation was created to support children with craniofacial anomalies such as cleft lip and cleft palate and to support the efforts of health care organizations caring for those children. The major grant recipient is the Craniofacial Anomalies Program at Riley Hospital for Children.

The cartridge collection proceeds support "Rainbow Scholarships" to Camp About Face, a special weeklong camp held each summer for children with craniofacial anomalies. The scholarships allow children who might otherwise not be able to attend the special camp the chance to have one week of summer fun, complete with horseback riding, swimming and campfires. The camp is also staffed with medical personnel trained in the needs of children with craniofacial anomalies.

"It's a really special week for them. It's a whole week where nobody stares at them, nobody cares what they look like or sound like," Karen Thatcher said.

From an environmental standpoint, the program keeps at least 1,000 Ball State cartridges out of landfills each year. Karen Thatcher said that Ball State is one of the larger contributors to the program, and she hopes to see that contribution continue to grow.

Burton encourages businesses in East Central Indiana to become a part of the cartridge recycling program. For more information, contact the Heads Up Foundation at (812) 966-2761 or visit www.headsupfoundation.org.

Ball State departments or offices interested in participating in the cartridge recycling program are asked to contact Karen Thatcher at 285-8169 or kthatcher@bsu.edu.