Since 1974, when the first Ronald McDonald House opened in Philadelphia, Ronald McDonald House Charities has grown into a global network of care. Driven by a passion to reach out to children in need, the core programs of RMHC have grown beyond the cornerstone Ronald McDonald House to include Ronald McDonald Family Room and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile.
The RMHC in Morgantown opened its doors in October of 1990. Kim George is the executive director of the house on Country Club Drive, and Molly Rakes is the director of volunteers.
Because of outstanding staff members, volunteers like our own Ron Wiltison, individual, service and corporate donors, and every family, each of these programs is transforming the lives of children in neighborhoods around the world.
Known as “The House That Love Built,” the Ronald McDonald House program has been helping seriously ill children and their families for decades. Each Ronald McDonald House provides a safe, welcoming and warm home away from home for children receiving medical treatment at a nearby medical facility.
Many families travel far from home to get treatment for their seriously ill or injured children. Hospital treatment can last one day, one month or even longer. A Ronald McDonald House keeps families together when they need it most by offering them a comfortable, temporary residence in proximity to a medical facility. Each Ronald McDonald House provides an alternative to costly hotels and uncomfortable hospital waiting rooms.
Families enjoy home-cooked meals and can sleep in private bedrooms at any of the Ronald McDonald Houses. Some now include special suites for immunosuppressive children and their families, and for those who need to stay for an extended period.
Many Houses also provide accredited education programs, recreational activities and non-clinical support services. In return, families are asked to make a donation from $5 to $25 per day depending on the House. But if that’s not possible, they stay for free.
The commitment and care from staff members, volunteers, donors and communities help support each Ronald McDonald House, like the one on Country Club Drive in Morgantown, W.Va.
When Philadelphia Eagles tight end Fred Hill’s 3-year-old daughter, Kim, was being treated for leukemia in 1974, his life changed. He and his wife, Fran, camped out on hospital benches and sat in cramped waiting rooms during Kim’s three years of treatment. The Hills watched other parents and families of seriously ill children do the same thing. Many of the families had to travel long distances for their children to receive medical treatment and couldn’t afford hotel rooms.
The Hills knew there had to be a solution. Fred rallied the support of his teammates to raise funds. Through Jim Murray, the Eagles’ general manager, the team offered its support to Dr. Audrey Evans, head of the pediatric oncology unit at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Evans dreamed of a comfortable temporary residence for families of children being treated at her hospital.
Jim enlisted Don Tuckerman from the local McDonald’s advertising agency, who with the support of McDonald’s Regional Manager Ed Rensi, launched the St. Patrick’s Day Green Milkshake (dubbed the Shamrock Shake) promotion. Funds raised helped purchase an old house located near the hospital.
And this is how the first Ronald McDonald House opened in Philadelphia in 1974. The network of Houses quickly grew after that.
Today, 271 Ronald McDonald Houses in 30 countries and regions support families around the world. The program has provided comfort to more than 10 million families for more than 30 years.
The Ronald McDonald House in Morgantown can be reached at (304) 598-0050.