Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada
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Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada (RMHCC) is a non-profit organisation that provides lodging to families with seriously ill children. Sometimes, when a child is diagnosed with a serious illness, they may not be able to get the necessary medical care in the area they live so they must travel to destinations away from their homes for medical care. RMHCC provides families with subsidized accommodations in some of these destinations. There are currently fifteen locations in Canada. The first house opened in Toronto in 1981.
Houses
Ronald McDonald Houses were created to provide a "home away from home" environment for families to live in while their sick children are being treated at a nearby hospital. These houses offer a place to stay where families can find support while dealing with the emotional distress of having their sick children in a hospital.
The houses are located in Vancouver (BC); Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer (AB); Saskatoon (SK); Winnipeg (MB); London, Windsor, Hamilton, Toronto and Ottawa (ON); Montreal and Quebec City (QC); Halifax (NS); Moncton (NB); and Saint John's (NL).
Donations
Each Ronald McDonald House is independently operated by its own charitable organization within its community and is supported by individual and corporate donors.
McDonald restaurants in Canada hold an annual fundraising event, called McHappy Day), to collect donations. The fundraiser attracts local celebrities, radio stations, politicians as well as volunteers and staff.
Ten cents from every Happy Meal sale is donated to the charity. Coin boxes placed in front of every cash register are also collecting contributions from customers.