The Ronald McDonald House honors Larry “The Can Man” Van Ness

INDIANAPOLIS — The Ronald McDonald House will honored the legacy of Larry “The Can Man” Van Ness Monday morning.

Van Ness, who was known for collecting pop tabs in order to raise money for the Ronald McDonald house, tragically passed away in October after being hit by a car.

Van Ness was about to reach his 27 millionth pop tab donation for the Ronald McDonald house before his accident.

His friend and caregiver, Rachel Lee Landers continued to keep “The Can Man” legacy alive by collecting 800,000 pop tabs to contribute to his goal.

"He's keeping me just as busy as he ever did, even without him being here,” Landers said. “He started something 19 and a half years ago that he had no idea what it would be at this point in time. The legacy he’s leaving behind is pretty amazing."

Landers was present at the Ronald McDonald house event to drop off the tabs and to receive a plaque celebrating 27 million pop tabs — a tradition started to honor Van Ness after every millionth tab he collected.

The Madison County community also contributed by collecting over 550,000 pop tabs to finish “Larry’s Last Million.”

Van Ness’s efforts have raised more than $12,000 for the Ronald McDonald house.