About the cause: The story of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Philadelphia Region began in the 1970s when Dr. Audrey Evans was working as a pediatric oncologist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Seeing the families of children who were receiving life-saving treatment spend night after night in the hospital, she envisioned a house where families could stay during these difficult times.
Around the same time, Kim, the daughter of the Philadelphia Eagles’ player Fred Hill, was receiving treatment for leukemia at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and the team was raising funds in her support. Jimmy Murray, the General Manager of the team, approached St. Christopher’s about making a donation.
Dr. Evans worked with The Eagles to champion this cause and coordinated with Eagle’s advertiser, McDonald’s, about using the funds from Shamrock Shakes to help establish the new house. McDonald’s agreed, and on October 15, 1974, RMHC Philly was born. The support of generous donors enabled the RMHC of Philly to grow from an idea to the model for hundreds of Ronald McDonald Houses around the world.
About the event: We’re building hygiene packs full of needed supplies to support families living in the House. You’ll be adding your own touch and message to each pack you create, drawing fun pictures on the bags, and leaving letters of encouragement, so the recipient family knows they have someone cheering for them!
