By Rick Shepherd
We did it. After working our way through a pandemic, where we kept our House open to the families that needed our services, through supply chain shortages and an increase in material costs, our Ronald McDonald House finally opened its doors as “the largest Ronald McDonald House on Earth.” That’s how the local newspaper, The Columbus Dispatch characterized this momentous occasion for Central Ohio.
It couldn’t have happened without the perseverance of supporters from the corporate community, including local McDonald’s Owner/Operators who have been with us since the beginning, along with the individual donors who contributed to our “Million Reasons” campaign. Our partner hospital, Nationwide Children’s Hospital sure had a part in our growth, as did the NCH employee-led NACHO Street Band, made up of NCH employees and other supporters who play instruments. They’ve been fundraising for the campaign since its start last year and raised $100,000 of that million-dollar ask.
It’s been quite a ride for all of us and we especially have to thank the families who stayed with us through this dirty and noisy time.
The end result is 2,000 more nights of rest for families every year because we’ve added 82 new rooms for a total of 206 guest rooms. Those rooms are in one new wing while a second new wing has a new large dining room, commercial kitchen, event space, and administrative offices.
Thanks to the entire community for making this possible and for attending our open houses and expansion grand openings to celebrate with us! Take a look at the links below to see how our House made the Headlines this month. Our community certainly has much to be proud of!
Click here to see our many photos from Facebook during these celebrations.