McDonald’s & Us
A relationship nearly 50 years strong
A partner in good
since 1974
The first Ronald McDonald House opened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 15, 1974, ushering in a new way of caring for families of sick kids who had to travel many miles for medical care.
Since the very beginning, McDonald’s corporate and local franchisees have supported every subsequent House with countless volunteer hours, in-kind donations, promotional support, and fundraising efforts.
And, of course, via thousands upon thousands of donation boxes located at every McDonald’s restaurant.
Today, there are over 380 Houses operating in 49 countries providing more than 2,000,000 overnight stays for families. |
Independent, but still a team player
We, like every other Ronald McDonald House, are independently operated and governed. Our “title sponsor,” if you please, are the franchisees in Nebraska and southwest Iowa. Not only do they support us through the in-store and drive-thru donation boxes, they also provide in-kind gifts, marketing opportunities, and additional financial support – including being the title sponsor for our signature Wings and Wheels event.
Area McDonald’s restaurants also coordinate a Giving Tree campaign to collect household items for the House, offering one more easy way for the community to get involved.
And when we undertook our Hope and Healing Expansion a few years ago, our franchisee partners pledged to donate an additional one-and-one-half cents for every pound of French fries they sold. Which, unsurprisingly given the popularity of McDonald’s fries, would generate over $1 million for the project. We are so thankful for the relationship we have with the owner operators of our local McDonald’s.
