The Poplar Bluff High School Beta Club has earned $6,000 for collecting the most bottle caps during the annual Dr. Pepper Pigskin Points contest.

“It’s something we really weren’t expecting and it came at an opportune time to be able to fund state convention next year,” said Beta Club co-sponsor Stephanie Kuper, who received the news last week from Tom Orosz, a soft drink distributor for Pepsi MidAmerica.

PBHS was the Division 4 first-place winner, competing against schools of similar size in Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee, in addition to Missouri. “I’m tickled to death that my schools won this money,” Orosz said.

Students solicited special teal caps of Dr. Pepper products in a drum barrel located at the front office from August to December. Kuper promoted the competition in her English classroom, and Beta Club co-sponsor Pam Davis of the Business Department also posted about the initiative via social media.

“The community really rallied around us and helped collect,” reflected Davis, noting that several individuals and local organizations took up collections including the Missouri Department of Transportation.

On top of subsidizing the next Missouri State Convention, slated to return to Branson from Springfield, the money will help finance registration to the National Beta Convention this summer in Nashville. Five students from PBHS have qualified to compete, including Kylie Darnell, Piper Duncan, Dean Hester, Adeeti Mishra and Emma Papanicolaou.

“My best memories from high school usually had something to do with Beta,” stated Kuper, who attended Malden. “I can see what an opportunity it is for students to continue to grow, network and develop lifelong friendships, plus learn how to support your community through volunteering. Not to mention there are tons of scholarship and leadership opportunities.”

In 2019, the PBHS Beta Club placed third in the Dr. Pepper competition, earning $2,500, after Principal Mike Owen initially became aware of the promotion. There are currently 114 members in the student organization.

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Cutline: More than 50 PBHS Beta Club members participated in the Missouri Senior Beta Club Convention in December, with co-sponsors Pam Davis and Stephanie Kuper, along with chaperone Mike Anderle of the Social Studies Department.