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
adrienne@rmhsouthernalberta.org.
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
sarah@rmhsouthernalberta.org.