Minnesota United announced today that the club is kicking off a first of its kind donation drive, ‘Pop It and Drop It’, to support Ronald McDonald House Charities, Upper Midwest (RMHC-UM) at the Home Opener on Saturday, March 2. Fans are encouraged to pop the tabs off canned beverages and other canned products and drop them in collection bins placed around Allianz Field in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Over the last 30 years, the Pop Tab program has raised more than $819,000 for RMHC-UM.
“In 2023, we offered free lodging, meals, essential supplies, and supportive programming to 5,770 families from Minnesota and surrounding Upper Midwest states and around the country. We never charge for any of our services, allowing families with seriously ill and injured children to focus on their child’s health journey instead of worrying about everyday expenses,” said RMHC-UM President & CEO Jill Evenocheck. “The ‘Pop It and Drop It’ program will support our efforts to provide a home away from home to families dealing with a child’s health crisis.”
Because pop tabs are high-quality pure aluminum, they are more valuable than the aluminum in the entire can itself. RMHC-UM and Minnesota United’s collection efforts aren’t limited to pop tabs, as the program also accept tabs from canned soup, fruit, pet food and even tennis ball containers. Due to the fluctuating prices of aluminum, it raises $20,000-$25,000 a year.
“Our team is incredibly honored to be the first team in Minnesota and across the country to focus on a year-round, stadium-wide pop tab collection program,” said MNUFC Director of Community Relations Cori Meixner. “We are consistently looking for innovative ways to best lift the voices of our community, and this is a special project made possible by people’s belief in what RMHC Upper Midwest is doing for our community. We support their journey to create and cultivate inclusive environments for their families, and we strive to do the same as a club. As a staff we have already been participating in this initiative at our office, so we are excited to invite our larger MNUFC community to join us – every small contribution together has the ability to make an even-larger impact.”
About RMHC-UM
Ronald McDonald House Charities, Upper Midwest is a 501 (c) (3) organization that provides a comfortable and caring home away from home that supports keeping families together and reduces stress during a child’s serious illness. Based in Minneapolis, the organization operates five locations in Minnesota and served 5,770 families in 2023. Additional information can be found at https://www.rmhc-uppermidwest.org/.
