LAS VEGAS – Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is celebrating its annual Day of Change and more than 40 years of keeping families close. In Las Vegas, RMHC and McDonald’s owner/operators invite individuals, businesses and community groups to support local families with critically ill children by visiting participating McDonald’s on October 15 and dropping spare change into an RMHC Donation Box.
Throughout 2014, coins donated globally through the Donation Box program totaled more than $54 million in support of nearly 6 million children and families. The RMHC Day of Change is the charity’s annual call to action to support families with children facing medical crises. A full Donation Box could mean one night at a Ronald McDonald House for a family while their child receives medical treatment; a dental screening for a child aboard a Ronald McDonald Care Mobile; or meals and snacks and a comfortable place to rest, just steps from a child in the NICU, inside a hospital in a Ronald McDonald Family Room.
“A simple act of kindness at the front counter is a powerful gift for local RMHC families,” said Alyson McCarthy, executive director. “For families with children in need of critical medical care, the thought of being more than a few steps from the hospital seems just too far. A person’s spare change combined with that of their neighbors can add up to make a big difference for these families. It keeps them close to each other and to the care and resources their child needs.”
The spare change could help parents get higher quality of sleep so they can be better equipped to make important medical decisions for their children. McDonald’s customers who participate in Day of Change are encouraged to share photos and how they helped to support RMHC on social media using #forRMHC.
RMHC programs provide stability and vital resources to nearly 6 million families in 63 countries and regions through three core programs that include 349 Ronald McDonald Houses, 198 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms and 50 Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles. Currently, 35 percent of local chapters are expanding their programs to meet the increasing demand for these critical services, which includes introducing new chapters and programs in areas like China and the Middle East.
About Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Greater Las Vegas
Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®) of Greater Las Vegas is a non-profit, 501c3 organization that provides temporary housing for families who travel to Las Vegas to receive medical treatment for their children. RMHC of Greater Las Vegas also creates and supports programs that directly benefit children and families in the greater Las Vegas area through grants, scholarships, and community outreach projects.