OAK LAWN, Ill. —  A suburban teen has spearheaded an effort to collect 1 million pop top tabs.

The aluminum is recycled and the money raised goes to the Ronald McDonald House Chapter in Oak Lawn helping families in their greatest time of need.

Ulises Cardenas is a senior at Evergreen Park Community High School. He’s a standout student and athlete who also serves on the teen advisory council at the RMCH Oak Lawn chapter just across from Advocate Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn.

He first found out about the Ronald McDonald House charity and its student involvement program by his guidance counselor, and his mom and dad encouraged him to go for it. He would soon set his goal of collecting 1 million pop tops.

He was also awarded the Ray Schnauger Award for Student Excellence.

Ulises is 57 pounds into his goal. About 787 pounds equates to 1 million tabs.

Saturday the RMHC will hold it’s annual Recycle with Ronald event at United Scrap Metal in Cicero.