The Season of Giving with RMHC

On Nov. 28, McDonald's launched their Season of Giving campaign with hopes of raising $5 million  to help out their partner company Ronald McDonald House Charities. During this festive holiday season, McDonald's will be collecting donations at all of their locations in hopes of raising money for our families in need. This time of the year can be especially difficult for families that may need to travel a lot for their kids, and we hope to loosen that burden just a bit. This year, we set up a plan and will let people choose how much they want to give and they know what it is going towards. The three options are $1 for coloring books, $3 for art supplies in the playrooms, and $5 can help buy a new family-friendly game. These may seem like small donations, but they will add up and make a difference. 

“As both a McDonald’s owner-operator and board member of my local chapter of RMHC, I have been honored to witness first-hand the support that donor dollars provide to families in times of illness,” said Katie Kenworthy, McDonald’s owner-operator in Evansville, Indiana. RMHC can only get better this season of giving.

AbbVie Provides $100 Million Donation, Largest in RMHC History

On Aug. 20, AbbVie gifted the largest donation to RMHC in the history of the company. The $100 million donation will go a long way for RMHC by providing even more supplies for families and increasing services. These funds will cover 230,000 overnight costs for families staying in the residences so that they can be closer to their loved ones. The donation money will also allow the addition of approximately 600 new rooms in 32 different houses across the United States to accommodate even more families.

"While RMHC serves millions of children and their families each year, we know that we only serve a small percentage of pediatric patients' families who need our services," said Sheila Musolino, the CEO of RMHC. "This extraordinary gift from AbbVie will move us closer to meeting that unmet need."

AbbVie is a well known global biopharmaceutical company that has decided to dedicate donation money towards sick children and the medical teams that serve them including RMHC, Habitat for Humanity and Direct Relief. Generous donations from organizations such as AbbVie make the work that we do at RMHC possible. We are always appreciative of our donors for helping change the lives of thousands of families across the country.

Kansas City Chiefs Visit RMHC, Raise Nearly $400,000

On Monday afternoon, members of the Kansas City Chiefs visited Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City to present a check of $388,112. The donation money came from a contribution of funds from the Hunt Family Foundation 50/50 Raffle, and from flag sales on Red Friday. While the players were there, they met some of the local RMHC families and children, and signed some autographs afterwards.





"We're excited to be back here once again supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City, which does so much for families facing difficult times," said Tyler Epp, the Executive Vice President of Business Operations for the Chiefs. "I want to thank our players for being here today and, especially Chiefs Kingdom, whose generosity and excitement for our football team has positively impacted the lives of those in the community."

Without generous donations like this one from the Kansas City Chiefs, none of what we do at RMHC would be possible. We would like to thank the Kansas City Chiefs and all of our generous donors for allowing us to help thousands of families in the Kansas City area!

Glass Painting for RMHC of Springfield

Members of the East Longmeadow community came
together to paint glass and benefit RMHC of Springfield

On Monday night, dozens of people were painting with a purpose in East Longmeadow.

The Ronald McDonald House of Springfield held a fun and interactive "Tipsy Paintbrush Night" where participants could enjoy a glass of wine and paint a glass, all benefitting RMHC. 

Volunteer coordinator Skochii Polchlopek spoke on behalf of the Ronald McDonald House to all of the participants, reminding them of the way they are changing families lives by supporting their mission. 

"We are there when the families need us when they want to be close to their children who are in the hospital," said Polchlopek. "We can accommodate 21 families and we work mostly with Baystate and Shriners and we also work with other families throughout the region who need us."

All of the funds raised will go directly to the families who are able to stay at the home free of charge. 

Los Angeles Kings Get Spooky for RMHC

On Oct. 30, the Los Angeles Kings hosted a Halloween party in partnership with Blue Shield for 75 families at the Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House. Kings forward Nate Thompson and his wife Sydney, along with the rest of the team, decorated the Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House in celebration of Halloween as part of the G.O.A.L.S. program. Volunteers had the opportunity to make baskets for all 75 patient rooms. There were also prepared crafts and decorated sugar cookies delivered to all of the kids rooms. A dinner was also provided for all of the families.

G.O.A.L.S. is a program sponsored by the LA Kings and Blue Shield of California to promote character building and wellness activities. Highlighting green solutions, open outlooks, active bodies, local leaders, and sharp minds, G.O.A.L.S. provides children of Los Angeles with practical skills and tools to lead healthy lives.

RMHC of Oklahoma City Seeks Major Renovation

Generous donations, like the one from AbbVie, have helped
Ronald McDonald House Charities help thousands of
families in need.

It should not be a surprise to anyone that large expansions and renovations are very costly. Susan Adams, CEO of Oklahoma City's Ronald McDonald House, voiced the need for a larger facility to help more families. She predicted a long road ahead of fundraising and construction to achieve this goal. 

Adams stated in a recent interview that 414 families had to be turned away due to the location's limited space.

Pharmaceutical company, AbbVie, gifted $2.4 million to Oklahoma City's chapter. This generous gift will speed up construction efforts immensely, having the projected finish date to be in 2020. With this gift, the residence could expect 26 new rooms, a second kitchen, and more gathering spaces. 

RMHC of Central Georgia Hosts Sporting Clays Tournament

On Nov. 30, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Georgia will hold its fourth annual sporting clays tournament at the Flint Skeet and Trap Club in Albany. RMHC is teaming up with the Kids and Clay Foundation and Keystone Foods to put on this event. All proceeds from this event will go toward helping out RMHC of Central Georgia, which has helped over 5,500 families in the past 15 years across the state. Entry into the tournament is $150 for children, $200 for adults and $800 for a team of four. Prizes will be awarded to the winning team, with prize drawings and giveaways occurring throughout the day as well.

It's not too late to join the tournament! Anyone who wants to sign up for the tournament should call (478) 746-4090.

Want to see what the tournament looks like? Above is a video from a sporting clays tournament held by RMHC of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, and here is a video from a sporting clays tournament held by RMHC of Idaho.