The Ronald McDonald House charity program grants temporary housing for families of children receiving medical treatment at a medical facility. This program started in 1974 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Fred Hill, Audrey Evans, and Jim Murray. Kim Hill, the daughter of former Philadelphia Eagles football player, Fred Hill, had an ongoing struggle with Leukemia.
With the many financial, mental, and physical struggles the Hill family faced with this battle, they decided to reach out to people for support. This included the support of his teammates, who helped raise money for other families who were struggling with similar problems to what the Hill family was facing.
The general manager of the Eagles, Jim Murray, the owner of the Eagles, Leonard Tose, and the McDonald’s regional manager, Ed Rensi shared support for Dr. Audrey Evans, head of the Pediatric Oncology unit at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
The following supporters donated the profits from a fundraising sale to help Dr. Evans create a temporary residence for the families of the children being treated at her hospital to stay at for free. This resulted in the creation of the first Ronald McDonald House.
In 5 years, a total of 10 more Houses had opened. The Ronald McDonald house today has developed to over 373 chapters and to over 62 countries. Over 150,000 volunteers have dedicated their time to this program and McDonald’s franchisees and customers alone have donated over $18 million dollars to this organization.
Many schools around the country participate in donating soda tabs as a fundraiser to help give support. These soda tabs are then donated to be recycled and the program receives a profit from the recycling. Over 100 schools throughout the region have contributed to the soda tab fundraiser and continue to do so.
This program helps spread awareness by having schools donate soda tabs but it also teaches students and teachers the importance of recycling. As of last year, 13 million soda tabs where donated with an average total of $6,000 per year. These proceeds go to the funding of the Houses and to the 1,100 families they serve.
The Ronald Mcdonald House program believes in keeping families close and continues to show their love and support to these families in need as well as make a difference in the lives of those in multiple countries and different backgrounds.
