FISHERVILLE — Nearly every day for the past two years, Fisherville District Lions Club member Floyd Moerschfelder has started and ended his day by crushing around 500 beer cans.
Over that time, nearly half a million cans have passed through his hands in pursuit of his goal to raise $50,000 in support of local minor sports teams by his self-imposed deadline of April 9, 2026. Now sitting at $48,000, that milestone is firmly within Moerschfelder’s reach as the clock ticks down.
Why April 9?
“That’s our annual variety show,” said Moerschfelder, who hopes to celebrate the achievement at the show with his community.
Since joining the club in 1978, Moerschfelder has seen firsthand the difference a committed community group can make when working towards a common goal.
Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady said, “Floyd Moerschfelder shows us what community truly means – turning something as simple as crushing cans into real opportunities and lifelong memories for our young athletes. His dedication is a reminder that small acts, done consistently, can make a huge difference.”
On Wednesday, March 18, Moerschfelder was surrounded by supportive Lions, a few minor hockey players, and one NHL legend at the Fisherville farm where he has lived all 87 years of his life to celebrate his monumental effort leading to this years-in-the-making accomplishment.
Edmonton Oilers alumni and hometown hockey legend Marty McSorley said he continues to support local efforts like this because “I was a little boy when they first put ice into Cayuga. It was the efforts of so many people in town. You never forget that. It resonates with you…. Without that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do what I did.”
Moerschfelder’s mission began after the previous bottle and can drive organizer for the club stepped away from the position.
“We had a meeting one night and he said, ‘never again,’” recalled Moerschfelder. “I opened up my big mouth and said, ‘I’ll do it,’ and I’m still doing it.”
The majority of the funds raised have gone to local teams, with some special donations made to support players or teams participating in competitions, some to Alzheimer’s research, and some to Scouts, Girl Guides, and guide dogs.
“We donate to local youth hockey and ball teams. Anyone in Haldimand that’s under the age of 18 years old, if they come to us, we’ll give them a (donation),” said Moerschfelder.
In his work, Moerschfelder uses a special can crusher designed and built by Rod Reicheld. Every one of Moerschfelder’s cans is dropped off at the Hagersville Beer Store, raising an average of $500 a week at 10 cents a can.
“Manager Donna Anderson and her staff, Sarah Wilkinson and Brad McCulley, take good care of us,” said Moerschfelder.
When he first started his mission, Moerschfelder had his wife, Carol, beside him, pulling the tabs from all the cans and using the funds from those to help make wheelchairs; however, Carol is now residing full time at Grandview Lodge.
“I get frustrated, and I take it out on these cans,” joked Moerschfelder.
Driving up the road toward Moerschfelder’s farm, it’s easy to see his community has bought in to the mission at hand, leaving bagged piles of beer cans at the side of the road near his home, with hundreds more piled up inside.
“Sunday morning, I got out of church, and I got in my truck and I looked in the rear-view mirror and there were bags and stuff in the back of the truck. When I got home I looked; there were 1,500 beer cans in the back of the truck and a whole bunch of bottles,” said Moerschfelder of the type of support he has received toward his goal. “They put them in my truck at church. They weren’t there when I got there, but they were when I left.”
Those looking to help Moerschfelder reach his goal can drop off their empty cans at three locations: the Fisherville Tavern, Selkirk Townline and Concession 5 Walpole, and Kohler Side Road and Concession 3.
While it’s been a mission reaching his goal, Moerschfelder has no plans to stop after $50,000, pledging to continue on toward a new goal of $100,000.
While Moerschfelder played softball and hockey in his youth, his mission is less about a passion for sports and more about a passion for the kids in his community.
“I like kids,” he said. “You gotta be a kid before you can be an adult.”
