18 Sep September 2019

National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Last year, the Ronald McDonald House served 670 families who had children battling cancer. One of our courageous pediatric patients is Ali. She was initially diagnosed with Lymphoblastic Leukemia when she was 4 years old and has been fighting this battle ever since. Regardless of the long treatments, the high’s and low’s, Ali’s light has remained strong. She even has her own hashtag: #iwantotbelikeali which many have adopted! You can read more about Ali’s story on our website.

If you have your own story about childhood cancer that you would like to share, we would love to spotlight it this month. Email your story and a photo to Lizzy. If you have already recorded this story on social media or a blog, you can also send us the link.
Together, we can battle childhood cancer and be like Ali!

Come Get to Know Us – And Get Involved!

It is time for our semi-annual Ronald McDonald House Meet and Greet – a chance for you to come and learn more about Ronald McDonald House Charities. You will learn about our work, our families, the facilities we operate and how to get involved, including our Grand Giver Program. And, refreshments will be served!

The Informational Reception & Tour will take place on Thursday, September 26 from 5:30-7:30 PM.  These events are what we call a “friend raiser”. You will not be asked to make a contribution – but we do hope that in this process we do make some new friends!

Please RSVP if you would like to join us by September 24^th to Kacie. We hope to see you on Thursday the 26th!

Family Reunions

This year we launched a new program for families that have stayed at the Ronald McDonald House or the Ronald McDonald Family Room at Primary Children’s Hospital. From June – August, we hosted events in Ogden, UT, Rock Springs, WY, Lindon, UT and at The Leonardo in downtown Salt Lake City. In all, we had the opportunity to reconnect with over 100 of our former guest families.

If you have stayed with us in the past and would be interested in getting the Family Reunion updates via text message, you can text the word Families to 385-213-4379. We hope to welcome you to one of our Reunions in 2020!

The 2019 Annual RMHC Golf Tournament

The equivalent to a hole-in-one was made for pediatric patient families on Monday, August 19 at the Jeremy Golf and Country Club. 148 golfers met to raise money for Ronald McDonald House Charities, and they raised a record-breaking amount…over $100,000. This is the equivalent of covering all the costs associated with over 1,000 nights for families in need of support while their child is being treated at a local hospital. We thank all of our generous sponsors, especially the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation, who served as our title sponsor this year. You can view more images from this great day here.

Raise Money for Families

You can join the many individuals, businesses, and groups who want to raise money to support our families. There are a variety of ways you can raise money, from hosting a birthday party and asking guests to bring cash donations or items from our wish list to hosting a garage sale with the proceeds benefitting RMHC. We often are impressed with the creative ideas that people bring to us – and very thankful for the generosity in our community.

If you would like to raise money for the families served by Ronald McDonald House Charities, click on this link to learn more.

Red Butte Gardens – Community Partner Profile

Red Butte Gardens is a botanical garden, arboretum, and amphitheater that is located in the foothills of our high mountain desert. It is home to a variety of beautiful trees, flowers, plants – and programs that draw crowds throughout the year. Most everyone is familiar with their very popular Summer Concert Series, but may not be as familiar with the plant sales, the art fairs, and the Garden After Dark.

Red Butte Gardens is one of our valuable community partners. They provide free admission to our families throughout the year, allowing them to enjoy the healing aspects of being surrounded by nature. Our partnership with Red Butte Gardens means that our families have one more amazing option to build new memories together, even while they are facing tough challenges. Thank you Red Butte Gardens for helping us serve our families. For more information, you can visit their website, Red Butte Gardens.

Facebook Birthdays

Did you know that you can create a Facebook Birthday Fundraiser and help support our pediatric patients and their families? For instructions on how to do this, click HERE …and of course, have a Happy Birthday!