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The Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts is constantly working to help area children lead happier, healthier and more productive lives. This is accomplished primarily through quarterly grant awards to area non-profit organizations with programs that help children reach their fullest potential. Learn more about recent initiatives below, or by visiting www.rmhc-ctma.org.
FILL RONALD McDONALD’S SHOES
McDonald’s restaurants in Connecticut and Western Massachusetts held a successful two-week fundraiser in August to benefit the local RMHC chapter. The Fill Ronald McDonald’s Shoes Fundraiser involved the sale of paper cutouts of Ronald McDonald shoes for $1, which customers wrote their names on and posted inside each restaurant. Now in its fifth year, the fundraiser tallied a record-breaking $86,300 for the charity! RMHC extends its sincere appreciation to McDonald’s and its customers for their continued support and partnership.
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LOCAL HEROES
To showcase its commitment to education, RMHC has honored 10 area teachers with its third annual “Local Heroes Award.” Teachers were selected with the help of the Connecticut Association of Schools and the Massachusetts Department of Education, and all have exhibited tremendous dedication to their profession and outstanding efforts in servicing their schools and communities. They will be honored at a banquet in October, where each recipient will receive a $500 grant for their school. The 2009 recipients are as follows:
1. Monica Gardner, Eastbury Elementary School, Glastonbury, CT
2. Judith Herbert, Selser Memorial Elementary School, Chicopee, MA
3. Thomas Howell, Belchertown High School, Belchertown, MA
4. Margaret Kennedy, Guilford High School, Guilford, CT
5. Toussaint Olivetti, Glastonbury High School, Glastonbury, CT
6. Creighton Paquette-Claman, Bristol Eastern High School, Bristol, CT
7. Jill Pilon, West Woods Upper Elementary School, Farmington, CT
8. Lindsay Slabich, The Springfield Renaissance School, Springfield, MA
9. Gail Thibodeau, Albert D. Griswold Middle School, Rock Hill, CT
10. Brenda Washington, Waterbury Arts Magnet School, Waterbury, CT
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LATEST NEWS
RMHC of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts visited the Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton to tour a newly renovated pediatric treatment room, made possible in part by a $20,000 grant from the charity. The room boasts an underwater theme complete with an examination table resembling a submarine and state-of-the-art medical equipment. RMHC President Dan Ashburn (right) presented a check to Craig N. Melin (center), President/CEO of CDH, and Diane Dukette (back left), Vice President of Development of CDH. Also in attendance were RMHC Board members Deb Santy and John Lacus, as well as grant administrator Carole Bowman (right).
View the footage from WWLP-TV (NBC Springfield)>>
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RECENT GRANT RECIPIENTS
RMHC of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts is proud to support local non-profits that benefit children, and recently granted nearly $70,000 to four deserving organizations.
The Children’s Home of Cromwell - $5,000 for vocational program supplies to benefit highly at-risk children in a special education school
The Ronald McDonald House of Connecticut in New Haven - $53,607 for renovations and improvements to this “home away from home” for sick children, including roof repairs and computer server upgrades
The Umbrella Group/Birmingham Group Health Services in Ansonia - $5,131 for children’s furnishings and toys at a crisis center and shelter
Women’s Center of Southeastern Connecticut, Inc. in New London - $5,400 for an enhanced security system at a shelter for women and children fleeing domestic violence and/or assault
Our next deadline for grant applications is December 1.
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HOUSE UPDATES
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts is proud to support the local Ronald McDonald Houses in New Haven, Conn., and Springfield, Mass., through grants, quarterly donations and continuous collaboration.
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The Ronald McDonald House of Connecticut kicked off the fall with a pre-Labor Day barbecue for staff and families sponsored by WFSB-TV Channel 3 and Big Y, as well as the successful 24th annual Kids Classic Golf Tournament at Oak Lane Country Club on September 14. Additional 2009 events include the first annual Evening with Chef Jacques Pepin at the Omni New Haven Hotel on October 23, and the 20th annual Trees of Hope Holiday Spectacular, December 5 - 13 at the Maritime Center in New Haven. Lights of Love fundraising events are also being held by schools and organizations throughout the year to benefit the House. To learn more, contact Nancy Shapiro at 203-777-LOVE (5683) or nshapiro@rmh-ct.org, or visit www.rmh-ct.org.
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The Ronald McDonald House of Springfield, Mass., has had a stellar year! Thanks to our friends at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts, we purchased seven new dinette sets for our dining room; replaced the dryer venting in our laundry room; replaced the 17-year-old carpeting in our 20 guest bedrooms; replaced the original bathroom cabinets; installed a fence and resurfaced our parking lot. Also, thanks to all the community support, our annual Gala raised over $60,000 and our golf tournament was a sell-out! We are truly grateful to RMHC and the greater Springfield community for all the support! To learn more, visit www.ronmcdhouse.com.
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