Got Tabs?

April 6, 2016

By St. Patrick 8th Grade Students

Have you ever thought pop tabs could bring a family together? At St. Patrick School, students in grades K-8 have been working together to collect pop tabs for the Columbus Ronald McDonald House. Generous people all over the community have been participating in this event to help families of seriously ill children. At St. Patrick School, family comes first. By helping Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio, we are fulfilling that motto.

St. Patrick students and staff put a unique twist on the collection by adding an incentive. The class with the highest pop tab weight per capita would be rewarded with a pizza party and a field trip to the Ronald McDonald House. This project, however, is for the benefit of others. Two eighth grade students had this to say about the impact of the project on their lives:  “This has really opened my eyes to the struggles people face in our own community,” said Grant Carpenter. “The more I give, the better I feel,” stated Abby Swierz. “These feelings will grow to become an automatic response to help others, which is what our school is all about. This is a simple project anyone can do, and we encourage others to do the same.”

Thank you to St. Patrick School for their dedication for collecting pop tabs for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio!

 

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A Cause Worth Dancing For

March 25, 2015

By Carly Damman

February 14^th, 2015 marked a special day for both Ohio University students and the Columbus Ronald McDonald House. On that day, over 130 students came together to dance for 12 hours straight while raising a total of $18,173 dollars for Ronald McDonald House families. February 14^th marked the first ever dance marathon at Ohio University and the first ever dance marathon to raise support for RMHC of Central Ohio.

As an eager and ambitious college senior, I decided to help start BobcaThon at Ohio University. Little did I know it would land me a big girl job one day! BobcaThon became a reality due to hard work, passionate students and a desire to help the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House. What a bittersweet moment for me when February 14^th finally came around and the idea of a dance marathon became reality! Transitioning from being a student who helped plan the event to a full-time staff member at the Ronald McDonald House was a bit of a challenge for me at first. However, as soon as I stepped foot in the Student Center at Ohio University and saw the event come to life, the challenge was over and the celebration could begin! The students did such an incredible job honoring the families and embracing the atmosphere of a true dance marathon.

Reflecting on my tough transition from student to full-time staff member, I am repeatedly reminded of the transition families staying with us have to make. Can you imagine leaving your home, your friends, your family and your job to spend weeks, even months, at a hospital? It’s surely not an easy transition. It’s probably one of the hardest transitions a family ever has to make. My transition pales in comparison! I am so honored and so humbled to work for an organization that strives to serve families of seriously-ill children in their deepest time of need each and every day. I am beyond thrilled to continue working alongside BobcaThon students to make the dance marathon more successful each year.

For me, each hour of the 12 hour dance marathon symbolized an hour of anticipation for an RMHC family. An hour of waiting during a child’s surgery, an hour of celebration after a cure is found, an hour of praying for positive test results or an hour spent anxiously awaiting next steps on an already long journey. I admire the stamina of each BobcaThon dancer to stand on their feet for 12 hours straight but that’s nothing compared to the strength of our Ronald McDonald House families.

Remember to always take time to dance for the amazing families that stay at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House!

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