Gala spotlights the House - Ronald McDonald House® Southern
Transcription
Gala spotlights the House - Ronald McDonald House® Southern
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE® CENTRAL ALBERTA It’s a full House Ronald McDonald House® Central Alberta has been open for three months and the programming and support has been growing for out of town families every week. The Home for Dinner program allows families to simply focus on their sick child without having to be burdened with making a healthy meal for the family. Volunteer groups come to the House and prepare a full dinner for all families staying there. The program has been growing and the dinner calendar has been filling up. Donations are arriving in abundance. Everything from homemade quilts and knit toques to toys for the Magic Room. All will be shared among the families and put to good use. Recreation programs are in full swing. The Craft Room is always busy with children and families working on projects or taking in special programs such as a visit from Petland. Recreation programs allow children and families to take a temporary break from their stressful situations and just have a bit of fun. NOTES FROM HOME Vol. 3 2012 Helping give sick children what they need most… their families.™ The Adam Helps the House concert took place on March 31 to raise funds for Ronald McDonald House® Central Alberta. Prior to the concert, Adam Gregory made a personal appearance at the House for families that couldn’t go to the concert. He played a few of his hits and visited with the children, families, volunteers and staff. Gala spotlights the House Combined efforts of the Cassie Campbell Street Hockey Festival, illuminate Campaign and illuminate Gala bring in $900,000 to support families Ronald McDonald House® Southern Alberta’s inaugural illuminate Gala presented by Penn West Exploration lit up TELUS Spark on Friday, May 4. Our Master of Ceremonies Sandra Jansen led guests through a sparkling reception complete with bubbly, a non-traditional dine-around and interactive dinner, and welcomed our special guests Cassie Campbell-Pascall and Dennis Hull. Singer, songwriter, AMA, ACMA, 16 time CCMA and Juno winner, Carolyn Dawn Johnson finished off the evening with a great performance. 2010 - 2011 Annual Report Download your copy at www.rmhsouthernalberta.org Our spokes family, Lecara and Devan Davidson spoke on behalf of Ronald McDonald House® Southern Alberta and poignantly introduced a special dedication video. The award portion of the evening honoured Clay Riddell, Philanthropist of the Year, and Ethan Yamada, Youth Philanthropist of the Year. RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE® SOUTHERN ALBERTA 111 WEST CAMPUS PLACE NW CALGARY, AB T3B 2R6 PH: 403-240-3000 FAX: 403-338-1277 www.rmhsouthernalberta.org Ready to hit the links? SPOTLIGHT ON SUPPORTERS IN THE COMMUNITY Community Bulletin Board Enjoy the scenic views at Silvertip Resort for our 12th annual Charity Golf Classic presented by Market Mall. Thank you to the following groups, organizations and individuals who held an event in support of the Houses during the months of January and February: 2012 Registration is now open for the July 16 tournament, and spots are selling fast. Please visit www.rmhsouthernalberta. org to register your team. At this time, golf sponsorship opportunities are still available and include golf registration. For more information, please contact Kristen Staldeker at 403-240-3000 ext. 130. Get ready to ROCK! Grab your runners and leave your iPod at home! Ronald McDonald House® Southern Alberta’s 6th annual Rock the House Run™ presented by Apache has a new date and a brand new route for 2012! On September 23, bring your family, friends and colleagues to Market Mall for another full-filled, rockin’ 5K Run and Walk or a 10K Run. Register online at www. rmhsouthernalberta.org / rockthehouse and be sure to follow #RocktheHouse for upcoming announcements! Woody’s RV World Marathon GAME ON!!! Cassie Campbell Street Hockey Festival wrap-up Thirty-one adult teams and 40 youth teams filled the Olympic Oval with laughter, sweat and street hockey fun for the 9th annual Cassie Campbell Street Hockey Festival presented by Penn West Exploration on May 4 and 5. Thrills” halftime show on Saturday, with their own competing teams filled with participants from the event. Harvey the Hound and Ronald McDonald® kept the crowd entertained as they cheered on their teammates. Cassie Campbell-Pascall joined special guests, Dennis Hull and Rhett Warrener during the two day event to cheer on participants and share their hockey stories at Coaches Corner. Cassie and Rhett hosted their own “Skills & Thank you to all participants who helped raise over $48,000 in pledges for the event! A HUGE thank you to more than 330 volunteers who gave their time, talent and treasure. We couldn’t have done it without you! FAMILY PERSPECTIVE CALGARY • Penny Lane Entertainment, Give a Child a wish • Donation in lieu of gifts for William’s birthday • Donation in lieu of gifts from Isaac’s birthday • Patrick O’Reilly ticket raffle • Silver Springs Elementary Change for Change • Whitehorn Village Retirement Community Casual Fridays • 4-H Foundation Staff Fundraiser • Bernard Callebaut, Easter event • Person’s Berry Farm, $7 from every Gordo’s sauce sold at Spring into Summer Expo, donations/ silent auction/toy drive • Bernard Callebaut, Easter event • Innisfail Charity Dart Shootout, 100% of proceeds • Valhalla Pure Outfitters, 10% of sales on one day • 5 students in Grade 3 from Camille J. LeRouge School held a popcorn sale, 100% of proceeds OTHER AREAS • Donation of gifts for Tasia’s RED DEER birthday, Cranbrook • Yummy Custom Cakes, 20% of • Heather’s Scentsy Sasha Buddy featured cake pop and cupcake Fundraiser, Medicine Hat sales for March • Our Lady Queen of Peace School • ATB Lids for Kids, 100% of sales of Fundraiser, Airdrie autographed Rebels hats • Rocky Mountain Elementary • RDC Business Students (aka Miracle Student Council Fundraiser, Elkford, Workers), raffle proceeds BC • Little Rockstars for Ronald • Pamela Armstrong, Rocky McDonald House, 50% of proceeds Mountain Elementary matching Adam Helps the House donation If we have missed listing your event, or you would like more information on hosting a community event, please contact Adrienne Day, Community Relations Coordinator, at 403-240-3000 ext. 112 or [email protected]. For the second year in a row Ronald McDonald House® Central Alberta has been chosen as the charity of choice for the Woody’s RV World Marathon in Red Deer. Runners from around the world will line up on Sunday May 20 to run a full or half marathon or 10 km race. The race is full every year and their 10 km race has already sold out with 350 participants. In 2011, the Race Committee and participants raised an amazing $7,713 through donations and sponsorships. “Last year we decided to donate our raised funds to assist with the opening of the new Ronald McDonald House® Central Alberta.” says Darlene Henderson, Race Director. “After the Race Committee visited the House following the grand opening, we quickly learned how high the operating costs are. We all agreed the House needed our continued support to keep the doors open and chose them again as our charity for 2012. We know our donation is going to good use to help families in need.” For more information on the Woody’s RV World Marathon please visit www.reddeermarathon.org. VOLUNTEERS IN ACTION The Davidson family The Davidson family began their journey with Ronald McDonald House® Southern Alberta back in February 2010 when two-year-old Chloe was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Parents, Lecara and Devan were worried when Chloe was sick for over a month with cold symptoms and inexplicable lethargy. Then an emergency room visit turned their lives upside down when they learned of Chloe’s diagnosis. They immediately left their home in Creston, B.C. Owen, Lecara, Devan and Chloe Davidson and drove five and a half hours overnight to the Alberta Children’s Hospital and found their “home away from home” at Ronald McDonald House. During their stay, they connected with other families going through the same difficult time and they found solace in the everyday comforts of the House: a hot meal cooked by thoughtful volunteers, the smell of fresh baking after a tough day at the hospital and new friends to lend a shoulder. Chloe’s treatment lasted two and a half years with her last dose of chemotherapy just a few short weeks ago. Lecara celebrated this milestone by baking cupcakes for everyone at the House. Although staff and volunteers are happy to see an end to Chloe’s treatment, we will miss this family that illuminated the House with their positive energy, smiling faces and love for each other. Thank you to the Davidson family for representing the House as our spokes family for the Cassie Campbell Street Hockey Festival and the illuminate Gala. Nothing beats a home cooked meal For the first time in history our Home for Dinner schedule was filled! This meant that every evening in the month of March, families would enjoy a home cooked meals prepared by volunteers. The trend of filling the Home for Dinner calendar also continued in April, May and June. “This program has grown in popularity so much. We are well on our way to reaching our goal of offering meals 365 days a year!” says Sarah Firman, Acting Coordinator, Volunteer Programs. The dinner group volunteers are individuals, corporations and social groups who decide on the menu, purchase and cook the dinner and then enjoy it with the families staying at the House. Having a meal prepared helps alleviate stress on parents after a long day at the hospital and encourages a home-like atmosphere for the families. Do you have a group interested in providing a delicious meal for our familes? Email Sarah at [email protected].