Family Time Park Campaign
Ronald McDonald House Charities® Newfoundland and Labrador Announces Family Time Park Campaign
The Goal
Making the dream of quality outdoor space for sick or injured children and their families a reality depends on the generosity and kindness of others. Our campaign goal is to raise $750,000 dollars
in funding to cover the costs of the development and construction of the outdoor space, landscaping, and accessible play areas. Though ambitious, we know that with your help we can reach our goal and make this a reality in the fall of 2022. We are planning to break ground in the spring of 2022, with the hope to formally open this space in September 2022 to mark the
10th anniversary of Ronald McDonald House in Newfoundland and Labrador.
(April 6, 2022 St. John’s, NL) – Ronald McDonald House Charities® Newfoundland and Labrador (RMHC NL) is pleased to announce a $750,000 capital campaign to fund the reconstruction and development of its outdoor space. This new space will give sick or injured children a safe and accessible space to play and enjoy much needed outdoor family time.
“September 2022 will mark the 10th anniversary of RMHC in Newfoundland and Labrador. In that time a lot has been accomplished, but there is still more work to done. It’s now the perfect time! Time for more mission, more family support and more quality family time. It’s time for Family Time Park” said RMHC NL Board Chair Theresa Rahal. “Providing a fun, accessible and secure space for our families to interact in a park setting, will help us enhance the experience for all sick or injured children and their families that need the Ronald McDonald House.”
$100,000 of the funds needed came from a capital reserve account created in 2019 by the Ronald McDonald House Charities Newfoundland and Labrador Board of Directors. The Family Time Park Campaign has already had great momentum, having already reached $325,000 through private donations.
“While $750,000 is an ambitious goal, it becomes attainable when you consider the generosity and confidence shown by our early donors,” said Gerry Beresford, volunteer with the Campaign Working Group. “We are thrilled to share details of this campaign with the public today and its positive impact it will have for our families.”
The project will see the development of a accessible and fenced outdoor area surrounding the Ronald McDonald House with improvements such as fencing, entrance gate, bbq/patio area, and most importantly a children’s playground with rubber play surface, two bay accessible swing set, and nature-based play features.
“The plan is to upgrade the land in front of the building between the front and woods area that is beyond it. There is a new pavilion going to be there, a great place where families will be able to have barbeques or picnics. There will be a court there to shoot basketballs and score hockey goals. Everything we do with this park will have accessibility and safety at the forefront. Its going to be a real showcase.” said Gary Follett, RMHC NL Board member and chair of the Facilities Committee.
Josh Skinner of Massey Drive spent over a year at Ronald McDonald House when he was fighting cancer in 2019-2020. “I started getting a little stir-crazy. There wasn’t a whole lot I could do outside, so I asked the workers at the house for a basketball net, because at the time they didn’t have one. What they came up with was a temporary one right outside of my room and that worked out quite well. This was just one of many little things they did for me and I was really happy they did that.”
Nature and the outdoors have always been associated with positive energy, wellness and a place to enhance overall mental health. Spending time and being physically active in nature has been proven to promote a healthy lifestyle and improve overall well-being. Spending time outside helps us recover from the effects of stress and our everyday worries. The positive physical and mental benefits of spending time outdoors align perfectly with the mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities and the goal of supporting and caring for sick or injured children and their families.
The success of the Family Time Park campaign will position Ronald McDonald House to positively impact the lives of sick or injured children and their families. Please consider a gift of any amount in support Family Time Park to help reach our goal; we CAN do this together!
Family Time Park Campaign Information
This year Ronald McDonald House Charities Newfoundland and Labrador celebrates 10 years caring and commitment to families with a sick or injured child. To learn more about Ronald McDonald House and its programs and services and make a gift to this campaign – see below
By making a tax-deductible donation to our capital campaign, you’ll be directly making a difference in the lives of sick children and their families at Ronald McDonald House. Additionally, you’ll be recognized for your generosity as a capital campaign supporter
We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this project with anyone in person or virtually. To arrange a meeting time, please contact Christina Morgan, CFRE, Director of Development & Communications at 709-733-5071 or email christinamorgan@rmhcnl.ca. Gift Agreements can be arranged over a maximum 3 year period
While each Ronald McDonald House shares a common mission, each house is independently governed by a Board of Directors with its own charitable registration number. Since opening in 2012, Ronald McDonald House Charities® Newfoundland and Labrador have accommodated more than 1600 families during 40,000 nights dealing with their child’s illness far from home. It is estimated that RMHC NL saved these families more than $8.2M.
Ronald McDonald House Charities® Newfoundland and Labrador helps keep families with a sick or injured child close to each other and the care and resources they need, when they need it most. Open 24 hours a day/7 days a week, Ronald McDonald House features many common areas including a large kitchen, family room, television room, resource center, home office, children’s play areas and laundry facilities. Ronald McDonald House is open to parents, siblings and at times, extended family members of children receiving medical treatment in St. John’s. It draws on a large pool of committed volunteers who help families feel at home.
Gift Agreements can be arranged over a maximum 3 year period. please contact Christina Morgan, CFRE, Director of Development & Communications at 709-733-5071 or email christinamorgan@rmhcnl.ca.
