“I heard about what Tylor Mettler was going through with his daughter and it just broke my heart. I asked how I could help and he suggested that I start collecting pull tabs.”

–Joe Kleinhenz

Joe Kleinhenz interacting with a fan

Since 2003, ballpark vendor Joe Kleinhenz has been a fixture in the aisles at Progressive Field, serving up food and drinks alongside his son and grandson, who are also named Joe Kleinhenz. “I was first, then my son, and then my grandson, so it’s really a family business,” says the eldest Kleinhenz.

After more than twenty seasons, Joe views the Guardians and their official concessions provider Delaware North as family, so when one of his those family members needed support he was right there to offer help in any way he could. “I heard about what Tylor was going through with his daughter and it just broke my heart. I asked how I could help and he suggested that I start collecting pull tabs.”

Newborn Haddie Mettler in the hospital

Tylor Mettler, general manager for Delaware North, has become a champion for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio since his family first found themselves in the Ronald McDonald Family Room at Cleveland Clinic Children’s. In 2022, their unborn daughter, Hadilynn, was diagnosed with spina bifida, a birth defect in which a baby’s spinal column doesn’t form properly, leaving nerves and a section of the spinal cord open and exposed. This can lead to spinal, brain, and nerve damage at birth, and can impact a child’s leg strength and ability to walk, run, or use the bathroom.

Tylor Mettler announcing pull tab partnership at Progressive Field

The care that Tylor, Hillary and Hadilynn found at the Cleveland Ronald McDonald House and Family Room at Cleveland Clinic Children’s prompted Tylor to want to give back, and his job presented him with a unique way to do so.

Since Cleveland Guardians fans consume more than 1.5 million canned beverages at Progressive Field during a season, Tylor saw an opportunity to get the whole city involved in collecting pull tabs, which the Guardians will then deliver to RMHC NEO.

Tylor has encouraged fans and staff at Progressive Field to save the tabs from their cans, even placing collection boxes on condiment carts throughout the stadium, since learning that RMHC NEO recycles and uses them to raise funds for family needs.

“Collecting pull tabs is such a simple thing we all can do.”

–Joe Kleinhenz

Joe has been so dedicated to supporting families like Tylor’s in this way that he started collecting tabs outside of the stadium as well. “I put containers out at the Elk’s Lodge (Westlake, OH), and people know to bring me their tabs from all over,” says Joe, “it’s such a simple thing we all can do.”