50,000 nights of helping families: Milestone celebrated at St. John's Ronald McDonald House
To help support its 15-suite facility, the charity hosted its biggest annual fundraiser Saturday
For the 12th year in a row, the Ronald McDonald House Charities held a Red Shoe Crew Walk for Families on Saturday in support of its services.
The St. John's facility has been providing a place to for families since 2012, and recently, said development director Christina Morgan, it marked 50,000 overnight stays.
"We offer an opportunity for families to have a normal life during what's anything but normal," said Morgan at the event in neighbouring Paradise.
"We're very proud of those significant milestones and we want to continue to be able to make a difference."
To be able to do that, she said, the charity relies on fundraising events. Its biggest one — with more than 40 towns across the province participating, and an annual average of $250,000 raised — is the Red Shoe Crew Walk, contributing significantly to an annual operating budget of $1.5 million.
Since opening, said Morgan, more than 2,100 families of sick children have stayed at the house.
Given the rising cost of living over the past few years, she said, a family's estimated cost of staying in the city is more than $500 a day. With an average stay lasting two weeks, that means the charity's work has become even more crucial for families who are already struggling with medical costs, time off work and an often lengthy trip to the capital city.
"That could cost the family more than $6,000 just to be away from home for a short period of time," said Morgan.
"It's estimated that Ronald McDonald House has saved those families more than $9 million in accommodation, food, lodging, parking, laundry costs — all those costs that are associated from being away from home."
Walk organizer Stephen Patten started volunteering at the facility in its opening year — and has been involved ever since.
"Ever since, my support has just kept growing every year," he said. "And it has a special spot just meeting those families and hearing the true impact from them first-hand."
After a few slower years following the COVID pandemic, said Patten, this year's walk for the St. John's area had a turnout of about 100 registered participants. They raised just over $17,000, almost reaching the $20,000 goal.
"It's very emotional seeing this support that we get from different corporate sponsors, but then also seeing the support from the little kids that are going door to door," he said.
"It's hard to explain how great that feels. Seeing it and then knowing that it's going to such an important cause is pretty incredible."
Working at Ronald McDonald House year-round, he said, he regularly hears from families about what the services offered at the facility mean to them.
"Their whole world is turned upside down and they're being rushed into St. John's sometimes with nothing other than the clothes they have on their back. Then they're worrying about, 'Oh, we're here for so long, what am I going to do now?'" said Patten.
"Hearing that there's a house just across the street that's very close to the hospital for them, so they could stay close to their child, that is probably one of the most important parts in the healing process for them."
Morgan said before the house opened, families often had nowhere to turn.
"Many families were torn apart during very difficult times," Morgan said. "Families lost their jobs. They lost their homes. And it's quite difficult to suddenly have to relocate."
Not having to worry about that, she said, also alleviates a psychological burden — for parents and children.
"When a child is hospitalized, it can be very traumatic to feel that separation from mom and dad," said Morgan. "But I've heard kids say, 'It's OK, Mom, I've seen you walk across the street to the Ronald McDonald House.'"
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