Around the House

35 Years with San Diego’s Ronald McDonald House By Connie Hernandez, a co-founder of Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego, pictured above with husband and co-founder Nick Hernandez We were young parents in 1976, busy raising our two sons and two daughters. That’s when we got the worst news imaginable: “Your son has a fifty percent chance of surviving the week. And he will not live to celeb …

In a great show of community support, members of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority at University of San Diego held a 5K on December 5, 2015. More than 125 runners took part in this race to benefit family care at San Diego’s Ronald McDonald House. Sorority members organized the event and recruited runners for a fun morning that raised over $7,000. Thank you, ADPi members! University of San Diego Alpha De …

Anne-Marie Penkala is a pro at our front desk, greeting families and answering questions. She’s glad to be learning something new with each shift. Anne-Marie has been on both sides of the reception desk: her two teenaged daughters had surgery at Rady Children’s Hospital when they were younger, and her family used both the former and the current Ronald McDonald Houses as guests. Anne-Marie returned …

More than 100 golfers showed their support for families at San Diego’s Ronald McDonald House by taking part in the 24th Annual Golf Tournament, held this year at the beautiful Pauma Valley Country Club. Players enjoyed four and a half hours of challenging yet fun holes on an absolutely pristine course. General Chair Brian Cahill and the Golf Committee did a phenomenal job of recruiting sponsors. L …

Talented and charismatic rocker David Cook capped the entertainment at this year’s ROMP to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego. Now in its sixth year, this year’s ROMP transformed the Estancia La Jolla  into an Argentinian dream, called “A Moment in Buenos Aires.” Open-air performances from Evita entertained 300 guests who then feasted on a gourmet dinner and bid generously at a l …

As a two-year-old, Masyn suffered a traumatic brain injury when an entertainment center fell on him. The Ronald McDonald House kept Masyn’s family close by his side during his two-month hospitalization. Masyn is thriving, though the injury left him with brain damage. For Masyn’s seventh birthday, his mom, Melissa, organized a party and silent auction to benefit the Ronald McDonald House, all in gr …

The Trustees of the Samuel & Katherine French Fund have directed a grant of $100,000 to fund the rejuvenation of six guest rooms, as well as lodging and care for the families who stay in those rooms. We have named a guest suite in grateful recognition of the Samuel & Katherine French Fund. Along with room rejuvenation, this grant is helping to cover the full cost of lodging for families wh …

Since Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego started our meals program in 2010, we’ve grown from 50,000 to 150,000 meals served each year. Our dishwasher simply couldn’t keep up with this increased volume, and we used paper and plastic dinnerware to make sure families had access to meals that keep them going. We weren’t happy with the amount of waste, and this summer, we put in place a compr …

Donna and Steve Evans have long had a heart for Ronald McDonald House Charities®. Donna began her involvement some 30 years ago in Boston, where she served on the Board of Trustees for the local organization. Steve is a senior leader in the McDonald’s Corporation and has supported the Ronald McDonald Houses since 1980. This longtime connection became a catalyst for the Evans’ decision to add Ronal …

Lyla didn’t receive any presents at her fourth birthday party. That’s because she asked her friends to bring pennies to her party so she could donate them to San Diego’s Ronald McDonald House. She and her little brother (pictured above) delivered “truckloads” of pennies to help care for families! If you’re inspired by this little girl, take Lyla’s lead and collect Pennies with a Purpose too! Call …