News - Toronto's Ronald McDonald House

Ronald McDonald House of Toronto Recognized for Creative Volunteer Program

Ronald McDonald House Charities® Presents Awards For Programs Worldwide

TORONTO (June 12, 2003) - The Toronto Ronald McDonald House (RMH) received two "Best Bets Awards" during the 2003 RMHC International Conference. The Conference, held bi-annually, gathers Ronald McDonald House Charities representatives from some 20 countries worldwide to learn about the most compelling issues facing nonprofits today and to share best practices with each other.

RMH of Toronto received second place and a US$3,000 prize in the Volunteer Program category for their "Summer Fun" program benefiting House guests. Their next award was for third place in the Collateral Materials category for the creation of the "My Story" video, and carried with it a US$1,000 prize.

The "Summer Fun" program was developed to provide some of the magic of summer vacation for children staying at the House undergoing medical treatment, along with their visiting siblings, while allowing some much-needed down time for their parents.

The day camp-like program utilizes local community resources and Early Childhood Education Students (ECE) to provide entertainment and diversion for children during the months of July and August. Passes to local attractions were secured through donations and outings included trips to Canada's Wonderland, Sportsworld, the CN Tower, Hockey Hall of Fame and local fire stations. In-House activities included arts and crafts, pizza creations and basketball games.

The video entitled "My Story" was created to celebrate the House's 20th anniversary and to be used as a tool to say thank you to longtime supporters. The video depicts life at the House as told from the perspective of children who have stayed there. Parts of the video were used to create a videotron advertisement that is shown on a large screen located on the roof of the Hard Rock Café in Toronto.

Ronald McDonald Houses provide "homes away from home" for the families of seriously-ill children undergoing treatment at nearby hospitals. Families are asked to pay a nominal fee for their stay - usually US$5 - $25. If they can't pay, their stay is free. There are currently 226 Ronald McDonald Houses in 23 countries.

Best Bet entries are reviewed and awarded within the following categories: fundraising, public awareness, volunteer programs, grantmaking and collateral materials. There are first, second and third place winners in each category and each carries with it a grant from RMHC: US$5,000 for first place; US$3,000 for second place; and US$1,000 for third place. One overall winner is selected from all category first place winners and receives an additional US$10,000 prize.

Ronald McDonald House Charities, a non-profit, 501(c) 3, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well being of children through its network of 178 Chapters currently serving children in 46 countries. Named one of America's Top 100 Charities by Worth magazine in 2001 and 2002, the Charity makes grants to not for-profit organizations and provides support to Ronald McDonald Houses, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile program and other children's organizations worldwide. To date, Ronald McDonald House Charities' national body and global network of local Chapters have awarded more than $380 million to children's programs. For more information on Ronald McDonald House Charities and its global and local community efforts, visit their web site at www.rmhc.org or call 630/623-7048.