Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon is excited to announce the launch of its 50/50 province-wide raffle campaign in support of families with seriously ill children.
The fundraising goal is $250,000, half to be collected by the winner with the remaining funds directly contributing to supporting the Family Rooms that help keep families close to their sick children undergoing urgent medical treatment in the hospital.
"We're excited to launch this 50/50 province-wide campaign because every dollar raised will directly support families with seriously ill children and helps keep families close during a very difficult period,” said Richard Pass, CEO of Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon. “With the expansion of the Family Rooms to Kamloops and Prince George we will be able to serve even more families across BC & Yukon when they need it most."
The two new Family Rooms in Kamloops and Prince George are set to open by the first quarter of 2025. These expansions will dramatically increase the number of families served across the province, providing vital support to even more families travelling long distances to access specialized medical care and allow parents and siblings to stay close, rest, and heal better together.
The Family Room in Prince George will be housed in the Pediatric Unit of the University of Northern BC and will be about 1,200 sq. ft. and will feature three sleeping rooms and one admin space, a living room, dining room and kitchen.
“Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation, alongside our local McDonald’s restaurants and dedicated community champions, recognized the need for an enhanced space for northern families at UHNBC,” Aimee Cassie, CEO for the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation, said.
“Through collaborative efforts, we have worked to fund the enhancement of this space, which now includes family rooms, a kitchen, a common area, and other essential amenities. This space allows families to find a respite from the hospital environment while remaining close to their loved ones on the pediatrics floor. An announcement and unveiling of the collective efforts is being planned, and work continues to be done to enhance the space.”
With up to 2,000 families served annually at the 73-bedroom House in Vancouver, RMH BC & Yukon relies on the generosity of the community to sustain and expand its services. Families travel long distances for their child’s medical treatment, some driving five to 10 hours to reach the hospital.
More than 70 per cent of the families served come from the Interior, Northern, and Vancouver Island regions. There were 27 families from Prince George that accessed Ronald McDonald House services in 2023 with an average length of stay of 27 nights. The three top diagnoses were made at oncology, NICU and neurology and the longest stay was 365 days.
There are 45,500 tickets available for sale, single ticket is $10, three pack is $20, 10 pack is $50, 25 pack is $100. Final sales deadline is Thursday, Oct. 31.
To help support the cause visit https://rmhbc.rafflenexus.com/a/pr.
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