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The Magic of Ronald McDonald House During the difficult times and the miracle times when families are faced with travelling to Saskatoon with a child in need of medical treatment, Ronald McDonald House Saskatchewan is a place they can call home. |
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Located in close proximity to the Royal University Hospital, where all of Saskatoon Health Region’s children’s services are housed, RMH has welcomed over 15,000 guest families since it opened 25 years ago.
It is truly “The House that Love Built” because it operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, through the extraordinary efforts of the 150 or so Ronald McDonald House volunteers.
They clean what needs to be cleaned and they fix what is broken. They paint the fences and groom the gorgeous gardens. They make lunches, load the drink machine and ensure there are always fresh cookies on hand. They run the gamut from newcomers to veterans who have volunteered since the doors first opened.
“Volunteers are a significant part of the magic here at Ronald McDonald House and the reason we are able to accommodate 13 families at a time,” explains Executive Director Susan Clarkson. “This home-away-from home can run with three full-time and one part-time staff members because our volunteers do the rest and they are the best.”
The comforts of home
“Cookies and comfort” is what they specialize in at RMH, yet a tour reveals a very practical side of the residence. Looking closely, it’s easy to see that every effort is made to ensure that families have all the amenities of home.
Activity is sporadic during the day in the large kitchen but once visiting hours at the Royal University Hospital are over it often becomes a hive of activity. There is plenty of counter space, two sinks and two refrigerators. Each family has their own cupboard for food and some space in the refrigerator.
For those times when a family may be too tired or pre-occupied to ensure they are eating well, handy brown bag lunches are conveniently available. There are free laundry facilities for those visits that go beyond a few days.
Families have a variety of common spaces to enjoy, including a quiet room for reading a book or watching TV, an activity room with games for kids of all ages, a toddlers play room, nooks and crannies for a rousing board game, and a welcoming backyard garden and patio.
While there is plenty of room for privacy, the amount of space doesn’t preclude the guests from meeting other families staying there. Extended family is also welcome to visit during regular hours. As Clarkson explains, “It’s important for families to know they are not alone.”
The thoughtfulness of the residence is in the details, like locating the numerous bathing and washroom facilities outside of the family rooms, making it easier to accommodate the physical needs and time schedules of all guests.
The back stairwell, painted an uplifting blue, features the names of cities, towns and villages across the province and their distance from Saskatoon. It’s a reminder of the provincial scope of the organization, but also a great way to make guests from every part of the province feel welcome.
The average family stay is nine days but circumstances vary and some families have been faced with staying in Saskatoon beyond RMH’s four-month limit. Although the actual cost of accommodating a family for a single night is $75, RMH asks Saskatchewan families to contribute only $10 nightly. This is a godsend for families who aren’t faced with a huge hotel bill at the end of their stay.
Guardian Angels
Clarkson makes it clear when she says, “We have guardian angels out there looking after us in so many ways.” She cites the new BBQ with a price tag that magically disappeared after the Weber salesperson found out it was for Ronald McDonald House.
While Ronald McDonald Charities and McDonald’s Restaurants generously donate one-quarter of the residence’s annual operating budget, the rest is raised through the big-heartedness of Saskatchewan individuals, service groups, corporate donations and RMH’s hard-working fundraising volunteers.
More than $43,000 was raised in June during the 25th Annual Ronald McDonald House Ladies Golf Classic. Women golfers from around the province headed to the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club for this year’s two-day event which was presented by the Dakota Dunes Casino.
The 2010 Media Fashion Show, an annual House fundraising event where members of Saskatoon’s local media strut their stuff in fashions from local merchants, is scheduled for Wednesday November 10th at Saskatoon’s Sheraton Cavalier Hotel.
McHappy Day is an annual fundraiser organized by McDonald’s Restaurants across the country that donates $1 from every Big Mac, McMuffin, and Happy Meal bought that day. This year’s May 5th event raised more than $83,000 for Ronald McDonald House Saskatchewan.
Cargill adopted the Weekend Manager’s suite and corporate angels now support each of the 13 bedrooms that have welcomed families to RMH since the residence opened in 1985.
Recent good news for RMH Saskatchewan is the announcement that the proceeds of the Knights of Columbus 2010 Dream Home Lottery in December will be split between the Children’s Hospital Foundation and Ronald McDonald House Saskatchewan.
Looking ahead
Expansion is on the minds of the Board and staff of RMH as the residence celebrates its 25th anniversary.
“Now that the location of the Children’s Hospital has been determined, we are starting to look at future possibilities for RMHS,” Clarkson mentions. “We are operating at full capacity and having to turn away many families.”
Two recent developments have also influenced Ronald McDonald House’s deliberations about expansion. A baby boom at the RUH, although delightful, has meant an increase in multiple births and premature babies whose families must find a way of staying in Saskatoon for the weeks or even months before the baby, or babies, can go home. Also, Saskatoon’s economic boom has resulted in families with child-related medical emergencies having a tougher time finding hotel accommodations.
Land adjacent to RMH has been purchased and a strategic planning session to determine its possible expansion will take place this fall. The Board of Directors and staff want to develop a sustainable plan in consultation with the Saskatoon Health Region that allows for expansion while ensuring that the level of service for families remains optimal.
A whole lotta love...
As Clarkson explains, having a sick child is not something you plan for. Dealing with that reality is the fundamental premise behind each and every Ronald McDonald House - to provide hope and help to families with sick children who find themselves away from their home and community.
Since the first Ronald McDonald House opened in Philadelphia in 1973, more than 10 million family members have felt the love of some 25,000 volunteers who donate more than one million hours of their own time each year. There are 298 Houses in 30 countries around the world, including Mexico, Great Britain, and Hong Kong. That’s a whole lotta love.
...and a little more magic
A life-size Ronald McDonald sits on a bench in the living room of Ronald McDonald House Saskatchewan as a reminder of the power of a child’s imagination and their capacity to believe. So, it is fitting that when a child and their siblings get to go home, they get to celebrate by choosing a toy from the special RMH toy cupboard.
It’s just more of the magic they’ve got going on at Ronald McDonald House Saskatchewan.
1011 University Drive
Saskatoon, SK S7N 0K4
306-244-5802
www.rmh.sk.ca