In 1996, the Ronald McDonald House swung its doors open to families in Southwest Florida.
The house and the nonprofit that’s behind it today — Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southwest Florida — is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
The “home away from home” officially welcomed its first families on Aug. 4, 1996. It provides hope, meals and a close place to stay to families with children who are critically ill or injured and under medical treatment in the hospital.
The charity requests a modest donation of $10 per night to offset a small fraction of its operating costs, but no one is ever turned away if they can’t pay.
The home is one of hundreds operating around the globe. It sits on the Lee Health campus next to the Golisano Children’s Hospital at 16100 Roserush Court in Fort Myers.
To stay at the house, families must:
Families can stay at a Ronald McDonald House anywhere from one night to several months, or even for more than a year, depending on their needs. Sometimes, they stay more than once.
Over nearly three decades, the house has served thousands of families facing tough challenges. That includes Ryker Privitt and his family, who stayed multiple times, after his battle with leukemia started at the age of 3.
After their experience at the home, Ryker and his mom, Crystal Coyne, founded Ryker’s Gold Linings, which has delivered nearly 100 care kits to the house geared for children ages 1 to 19. These kits include toys, activities and “seasonal surprises.”
Goal to raise $30,000 in 30 days
Ahead of its 30th anniversary, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southwest Florida set a goal to raise $30,000 in 30 days to support its mission. As part of the campaign, the charity has found ways to share inspiring family stories, such as Ryker’s, and to spotlight volunteers and behind-the-scenes moments, including the recent retirement of its long-time house manager.
“Over the past three decades, our house has been a place of comfort, hope and healing for thousands of families facing some of life’s toughest challenges. This would not have been possible without the incredible support of our community,” said Nirupa Netram, the charity’s president and CEO, in its July report.
In addition to overnight lodging, the charity offers:
A by-the-numbers look at the charity’s positive impacts
From January to June of this year, the local Ronald McDonald charity reported:
During those same six months, with the help of its many volunteers, 1,431 bagged lunches were provided to families, along with 164 dinners.
Thanks to the “Round-Up” program at local McDonald’s restaurants, more than $88,450 was raised to support the charity in the first half of this year.
More help and donations are needed
While it has many dedicated volunteers, the charity could always use more.
More volunteers are needed to prepare and provide meals, especially in the summer months, and to support the family room, with evening, weekday shifts needing to be filled (from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Donations are always needed, including Clorox disinfectant wipes, cases of bottled water, cups of mac and cheese and ramen noodles and juice boxes.
The Ronald McDonald House serves up to 12 families and up to 48 guests at a time.
Effort to open the house began in the 1980s
In Southwest Florida, the seeds for the house were planted in the 1980s, when a community-minded group came together to raise the money needed to build it. The effort was spearhead by the Frederic family and other local McDonald’s restaurant owners and operators in the region.
In 2003, the organization evolved into a 501(c)3 non-profit and became the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southwest Florida (RMHC SWFL). From there, it added the care mobile program in 2004 and the family room in 2017.
In 2020, the house expanded from six bedrooms to 12. Since its opening, it has served more than 3,000 families.
The house is one of more than 390 operating in 60-plus countries and regions in the world.
In 1974, the first Ronald McDonald House was founded in Philadelphia, with support from Shamrock Shake sales at area McDonald’s restaurants and the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Philadelphia Eagles got involved after its tight-end Fred Hill’s daughter was diagnosed with leukemia, and he and his wife found themselves sleeping in hospital chairs and eating food from vending machines not wanting to leave their child’s side. They saw others doing the same and spearheaded the effort to create the first “home away from home” for traveling families, like their own, to provide a comfortable place to stay, essentially for free, in trying times.
The Hills teamed up with pioneering pediatric oncologist Dr. Audrey Evans, who worked at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, to create a safe haven to promote the well-being of families.
Laura Layden is a senior business and government reporter. Reach her by email at laura.layden@naplesnews.com.
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This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Southwest Florida Ronald McDonald House turns 30
Reporting by Laura Layden, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Naples Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Laura Layden, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News | USA TODAY Network
