Spring has sprung at the Ronald McDonald House, just in time for our annual outdoor event, Weed and Feed, which takes place this year Friday, May 14 at both houses. Join our staff and volunteers, come with a group, or make new friends, and help us get our garden ready for families to enjoy this summer. We have projects for people of all ages and all levels of experience in the garden. McDonald’s will provide lunch at noon. We have some garden tools, but if you have favorites from home, feel free to bring those too. Paper yard debris bags and native plants and flowers would also be appreciated.
To volunteer:
East House
Friday, May 14, 9 am – 1 pm
Contact Lindsay Dance at lindsay.dance@rmhcoregon.org or 971-230-6708.
West House
Limited space remains at the West House
Friday, May 14, 9 am – 2 pm
Contact Julie Ramil at julie.ramil@rmhcoregn.org or 971-230-0808 x 304.
RMHC celebrated volunteer appreciation month by hosting an elegant high tea at the Heathman Hotel on Thursday to thank our wonderful volunteers whose time and dedication makes such a difference in the lives of families staying at the Ronald McDonald House. Last year alone, volunteers contributed 14,476 hours to RMHC, the equivalent of 7 full-time staff positions, assisting with almost every type of activity in the house. The tea also let our volunteers show off some of their most creative hats, with a prize going to the most interesting.
A special thank you goes to the Heathman Hotel, who sponsored the event and provided wonderful service, as well as Geranium Lake, whose flower arrangements decorated the tables, and Beaverton Bakery, who provided tasty treats for volunteers as they left.
Landscaping company ValleyScapes volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House earlier this week to help trim and prune bushes to get the house ready for spring. The company also donated vouchers for families living in the Salem area, where the company also does business. Families can use the vouchers to schedule free time with ValleyScapes, who will help keep their yards in shape while they are away from home at the Ronald McDonald House. Thank you for supporting RMHC families!
Employees with Aequitas Capital Management made dinner for families at the East House last Friday. It’s one of many ways that the company has chosen to support Ronald McDonald House Charities, including office fundraisers, and other fun service projects at the house. Thank you to everyone who participated for your support!
This year’s golf Social, held Sunday, July 18 out at Nike, is going to be spectacular! Join us for a “Behind the Scenes” look at the making of the movie The Blind Side, with writer/director John Lee Hancock and his friend, Mike Rich.
Golf Social – Sunday, July 18
Tiger Woods Center, Nike Inc. World Headquarters 5:00 Beer/Wine/BBQ 6:30 Behind the scenes with Writer/Director John Lee Hancock & Mike Rich 7:30 Beer/Wine/Dessert
Collecting pull tabs from used pop cans is a great, simple way to support Ronald McDonald House Charities. Anyone can stop by either house, and drop off bags of pull tabs you’ve collected. But where do all those pull tabs go? Some we sell to a scrap metal recycler, but recently we’ve also started doing business with a local Portland crafts artist, Kaleah Ott, who turns your pull tabs into fashionable ladies purses and accessories that she calls “Pop Tops.” Ott is even dedicating a portion of her proceeds from one particular purse to the Ronald McDonald House.
Longtime RMHC supporter Ollie Lund celebrated 50 year’s as a McDonald’s Owner/Operator at a special event last week, held at the original Portland-area McDonald’s on NE Glisan, which he helped open. Lund played a pivotal role in establishing Portland’s first Ronald McDonald House at OHSU in 1984, and has remained a passionate advocate ever since.
RMHC inducted Lund into our Hall of Fame in 2006, and he continues to support the charity as a member of the Pillar Society by including RMHC in his estate.
Ollie Lund (center) poses with Ronald McDonald, RMHC’s Executive Director Tom Soma, and Rosemary Egan, the original Executive Director who opened RMHC’s first Portland house.
Ollie Lund displays the original McDonald’s operating manual, edition 001.
How do you clean the carpets in 40 guest rooms, two houses, and five floors in one morning? Last Friday, the annual carpet cleaning extravaganza descended on both houses as carpet cleaning companies all over Portland teamed together to donate their services to make sure the job was finished on time, so that families could return by the end of the day.
We’d like to thank the following carpet cleaning businesses who participated:
Jefferson High School basketball star Terrence Jones, who recently returned from the McDonald’s All American game in Cleveland, visited the East House on Wednesday to talk about his experience playing against some of the best players in the country. Jones toured the Ronald McDonald House in Cleveland while he was there for the game, and described the visit as one of the highlights of his trip. On Wednesday, he toured one of the Ronald McDonald Houses in his home city, and met with the media to talk about his upcoming college decision.
New grant application materials have been posted for 2010 on rmhcoregon.org. Last year, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Oregon and Southwest Washington awarded grants totaling $112,500 to non-profit children’s health care organizations.
Focusing on the areas of oral health care and immunizations, our Outreach program seeks to partner with organizations committed to expanding access to children’s health care in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
If you are part of an organization that would like to apply to receive funding from Ronald McDonald House Charities of Oregon and Southwest Washington, please visit the Outreach page on our website.
Spring has sprung at the Ronald McDonald House, just in time for our annual outdoor event, Weed and Feed, which takes place this year Friday, May 14 at both houses. Join our staff and volunteers, come with a group, or make new friends, and help us get our garden ready for families to enjoy this summer. We have projects for people of all ages and all levels of experience in the garden. McDonald’s will provide lunch at noon. We have some garden tools, but if you have favorites from home, feel free to bring those too. Paper yard debris bags and native plants and flowers would also be appreciated. 
This year’s golf Social, held Sunday, July 18 out at Nike, is going to be spectacular! Join us for a “Behind the Scenes” look at the making of the movie The Blind Side, with writer/director John Lee Hancock and his friend, Mike Rich.
