McDonald's And RMHC® Of Southern California Celebrate 40 Years Of Supporting Children And Families

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- McDonald's and Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC) are celebrating 40 years of keeping families together. This momentous occasion will be marked with a renewed call for donations to directly benefit families that need it most, as well as a social media campaign that encourages people to show their support by using #forRMHC to share RMHC-related stories and photos, and increase awareness around the mission of the Charity.

This year, McDonald's and RMHC are celebrating a partnership that started in 1974 when the first Ronald McDonald House® opened in Philadelphia with the support of donors, doctors, community members and an NFL football team.

Before heading to college, Southern California's Shelby Black overcame what most children never have to: cancer. During her treatment she felt relieved to know her parents were staying just steps from her at the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House giving her the comfort she needed and opportunity to cope and heal together. Towards the end of her treatment, Shelby and her brother attended Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times®, which she calls the "light at the end of the tunnel" and allowed her to take a break from her illness and recapture a sense of normalcy. Shelby's journey has given her a passion to help other children like herself. After receiving a college scholarship from RMHC in May for her exceptional academic performance, Shelby started her freshman year of college where she will be studying to become a Child Life Specialist. Shelby is one of thousands in Southern California who have experienced the power and support of RMHC.

RMHC of Southern California provides stability and vital resources to children and their families throughout the Southland and operates six Ronald McDonald Houses, Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times, two Ronald McDonald Family Rooms®, a Community Grants Board benefiting local nonprofits and four scholarship programs. All RMHC-operated and supported programs provide access to quality health care and give children and families the time they need together to heal and cope. If each McDonald's customer dropped a penny into an RMHC Donation Box each time they visited, RMHC could raise more than $250 million to support the critical needs of children globally.

"It's hard to imagine that dropping a dime into a Donation Box makes a difference, but when we all contribute it adds up and has an incredible impact on the lives of these families," says Vince Bryson, Chief Executive Officer, RMHC of Southern California. "We hope everyone will make an effort to stop by a participating McDonald's and drop off their small coins."

As part of the annual RMHC 'Day of Change' on October 15^th, McDonald's is asking customers and supporters of RMHC to drop their spare change into local RMHC Donation Boxes located on the front counters and drive-thrus of participating McDonald's restaurants. Customers in Southern California and nationwide are also encouraged to wear red and white stripes, like the iconic socks worn by Ronald McDonald, and share their RMHC stories on social media using the hashtag #forRMHC.

Donations given by customers visiting restaurants or drive-thrus supports core RMHC family-centered programs in the U.S., such as Ronald McDonald Houses, that serve as a "home away from home" for families with sick children enabling families to stay together, providing comfort, stability and significant cost savings in travel, accommodations and meals.

The McDonald's Operators' Association of Southern California (MOASC) is comprised of more than 600 franchised and company-owned McDonald's restaurants in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. Learn more at mcdonaldssocal.com and follow us on Twitter: @McDonalds_SoCal.

SOURCE McDonald's of Southern California