DeKALB | The non-profit organization Huskies Pull Together is collecting canned beverage tabs with the goal of collecting one million by the end of the school year.

The money earned from recycling the tabs will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House Foundation, which supports programs that work to improve the health and wellbeing of children and helps families with ill children at the Advocate Children’s Hospital in Chicago.

The money donated to the foundation will provide a more permanent, low-cost stay for the families so they can be close to their children, especially if they live out of state.

More than 30 departments, individuals and student organizations have collected about 400,000 tabs since 2013, according to the Huskies Pull Together website. If the goal is reached, Huskies Pull Together will become a member of the Ronald McDonald House Foundation’s Thanks a Million club.

“Huskies Pull Together shows small access service can make an impact,” said Assistant Program Director Liz McKee.

The organization helps families who are going through the hardest parts of their lives, McKee said. The program also promotes student involvement and leadership within the NIU community.

Huskies Pull Together wants to work with the Student Association, which could have students volunteer to collect tabs during tailgating.

McKee said that student organizations are encouraged to facilitate events focused on collecting tabs so NIU can reach its goal..

Since the organization is a passive program, meaning it doesn’t have events, Huskies Pull Together tries to promote its initiative through its website and by working with the Huskie Food Pantry.

“We work with the Huskie Food Pantry, and a lot of students come in wanting to volunteer,” McKee said.

The program also hopes to work with residence halls to promote the initiative, McKee said.

Students can go to the Campus Life Building lobby or Student Recreation Center to drop off tabs in the red, wooden boxes marked with posters about the foundation.