The Raiders NRL pre-season squad was out and about in Canberra last Saturday for McHappy Day, with over 40 players visiting McDonald’s restaurants across the ACT to help raise money for Ronald McDonald charities.
The Raiders jumped in the kitchens, into the drive-thru and rattled buckets to assist in the largest Annual fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House.
Since McHappy day commenced in 1991, the Australian public has helped to raise more than $61 million for Ronald McDonald Charites, which is an independent charity that helps seriously sick and injured children and their families.
There are 18 Ronald McDonald Houses nationally including Ronald McDonald House Canberra, which is based at the Centenary Hospital for women and children.
You can still donate to the cause by either donating to the RMHC ACT and Southeast NSW Program or through the McHappy Day website.
More information from RMHC ACT:
Our ACT & SE NSW Chapter was established in 2012 as part of the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, where our House is located.
Ronald McDonald House Canberra, our Canberra Family Room and our Bateman’s Bay Family Retreat provide families throughout the ACT and Southeast NSW region with warm and welcoming places to stay, get support or relax and recharge, while going through the difficult journey of childhood illness.
We are an independent children's charity that strives to keep families together when life gets upside down for families with children undergoing treatment in hospital, whether for a serious illness, a major injury, or complications associated with a premature birth.
We provide holistic support to families throughout their child's journey in the hospital. We also support families in between and after hospital stays.
In addition to our three core programs, we support seriously ill children and their families through our "Wrapped in Love" initiative (delivering goodies & smiles to children and families in the hospital wards at Canberra Hospital) as well as through a Learning Program and a Scholarship offering which supports children’s education & career goals when they miss out on studies due to illness/treatment.
Stats about RMHC ACT & SE NSW:
- 2,059 beds were filled by families of sick children & premature babies at the Ronald McDonald House Canberra in 2021
- We had 159 families stay with us at Ronald McDonald House Canberra in 2021
- We served 2,606 families in our Ronald McDonald Family Room in the Centenary Hospital in 2021
- 20% of nights at Ronald McDonald House were used by families staying more than 90 days in 2021
- In the last 10 years (since the opening of the House in 2012), we have provided accommodation to over 3,600 families with sick kids, with the longest stay to date being 310 nights.
- Also, our local website provides more information about our programs specific to ACT: www.rmhcact.org.au
