Above: The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile staff getting ready to start their day serving underserved communities in the Greater Pittsburgh area. |
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Dear Friends and Supporters of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh and Morgantown,
Fall is in the air and that means back to school season is upon us. The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile has been busy helping families get ready for the new school year.
Throughout the summer, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile provided immunizations, vision screenings and physicals to more than 300 children in underserved communities in the Greater Pittsburgh area. For many of these families, this program is their only access to health care. And we are grateful to be there in partnership with UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh to provide these essential services.
In addition, this summer, we saw an increase in the number of families traveling for their children’s medical care, resulting in more families turning to our Charity for a place to call home. With safety and health protocols in place, we continue to ensure all of these families have a safe and supportive environment while far from home.
Of course, none of this would be possible without all of you. Thank you to everyone for supporting our mission so that we can support those who need us. Together, we are making a difference. You can learn more about the impact we’re making in our 2020 Impact Report.
Warmly,
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Eleanor B. Reigel, MPH
Chief Executive Officer
RMHC Pittsburgh and Morgantown
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We’ve got exciting news, and a simple way for you to help those in need! Howard Hanna Insurance Services has been selected as a Make More Happen Award winner for their volunteer work with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh and Morgantown!
To celebrate this award, Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance made a $5,000 donation to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh and Morgantown in Howard Hanna Insurance Services' honor, and now we have a chance to turn that into $10,000! That’s where you come in. Help us get to 500 votes on our story and the donation doubles!
How you can help:
2. Use the social media buttons to share our story
3. Click the yellow comment bubble and leave a comment to cheer us on
If you share the story to all three of the social media sites and leave a comment, that’s four votes for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh and Morgantown! We’ll get to 500 in no time!
Vote now through September 22nd to help us win $10,000!
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Sacks for Kids Program Kicks Off New Season |
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As football season returns, so does the Sacks for Kids Program! For the seventh year, Bordas and Bordas will donate $500 for every sack the Pittsburgh Steelers make this season. Since 2015, this program has raised $188,500, providing nearly 2,000 nights of stay for families.
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Give the Comforts of Home through our Meal Fund Program |
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Traditional volunteer-driven in-person meal preparation remains suspended due to the pandemic, so RMHC Pittsburgh and Morgantown established a meal fund to continue to meet this critical need. The Meal Fund not only supports guest families, but local restaurants from which meals are often ordered.
The meal program at RMHC Pittsburgh and Morgantown provides much-needed support to families who are away from home to get medical care for their children. Having a hot meal readily available to them is an invaluable comfort during busy days filled with doctor’s appointments, tests and/or procedures.
These meals are made possible due to the generosity of the community that provides this service to families so that they can focus solely on the well-being of their sick child. If you would like to support this program, donations can be made here.
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We are so grateful for the ongoing donations that support our families in a variety of ways. Please see just a few of them below: |
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The Western Pennsylvania High School Figure Skating Team hosted its seventh annual Skating Around the World event. Over the years, this fundraiser has raised more than $17,000 for the families at RMHC Pittsburgh and Morgantown.
“This event is very special to me! It warms my heart to watch how much the skaters enjoy creating and preparing for their performances. There’s a purpose and motivation that’s like no other. Doing something nice for others is something I hope every person has an opportunity to experience. I feel so blessed and grateful for everyone’s support and participation,” Sharon, coordinator for the fundraiser for seven years.
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The Jack Buncher Foundation generously provided tickets to the Wizard of Oz performance at Heinz Field. Several families were able to take a moment to enjoy this performance and a night out in the city. |
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Hoagey’s Heroes arrived at Ronald McDonald House Morgantown for their fifth annual Charity Ride, hauling 697 GALLONS of pull tabs! In addition to this incredible amount of pull tabs, Hoagy and his team presented the Charity with a $4,000 donation, raised from another cross-country charity motorcycle ride. Participants in this year’s charity ride came from all over the country including, Texas, North Carolina, Indiana, Maryland and Virginia to help transport the pull tabs to Morgantown.
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The John (Luke) Schreckengost Memorial Golf Outing took place earlier this summer raising $2,475.77 at its SOLD OUT event. Congratulations on a great day that celebrated family and friends out on the green and supported the Charity!
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FlightFest 2021 flew to great heights raising $5,000 for RMHC Pittsburgh and Morgantown. Hosted by Skyward Aviation at the Washington County Airport, approximately 4,000 people attended the community event which offered live music, bounce houses, food trucks and airplane rides. Each ride included a 15-minute flight over Washington County.
Wanting to pair the community event with benefiting a charity, Skyward Aviation Vice President, Brianna Elliott, chose RMHC Pittsburgh and Morgantown because of her experience volunteering at Ronald McDonald House Pittsburgh during college with the Alpha Delta PI sorority. Ronald McDonald House Charities is the sorority’s national philanthropy, and her chapter supported the Pittsburgh House by collecting pull tabs, preparing meals and helping with house activities.
“The Ronald McDonald House has always had a special place in my heart,” she said.
If you didn’t get to enjoy the fun this year at FlightFest, don’t worry, mark your calendar for FlightFest 2022 which will be on Saturday, August 13th at the Washington County Airport. The event will once again benefit the families at RMHC Pittsburgh and Morgantown.
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Many Miles Add Up to Many Smiles
With the help of 9 dedicated teams and over 70 walkers, more than $5,000 was raised for RMHC Pittsburgh and Morgantown families during the 2021 Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community. We are grateful to everyone who fundraised and logged many, many miles for the Charity.
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Online Art Auction Supports Families in Need
Featuring some amazing art from local artists, RMHC friends and RMHC families, the second annual Hope Lives Here Online Art Auction included over 70 pieces of art and raised more than $2,400. Thank you to everyone who participated either by donating your talents or by bidding on the artwork.
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Golfers Tee Off for RMHC Families
Under beautiful sunny skies, nearly 100 golfers spent an afternoon at Southpointe Golf Club for the 28th annual Big MAC Open. The day included several contests, raffles and a lunch and dinner program.
The event raised thousands of dollars, with donations still being counted, for families traveling for medical care for their children.
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Red Shoe Ball
While everyone was eager to return to an in-person Ball, due to the continued rise in COVID cases, we are unable to safely host an event indoors at this time. It’s disappointing, however it’s critically important that the health and well-being of all those associated with the event continues to be a priority.
We are extremely excited to be bringing the Ball to you, however, trade your ballgown and heels for comfy clothes and slippers. Swap your tux for something more comfortable and plan to join us from wherever you happen to be on Saturday, November 13. A brief and inspiring program will stream LIVE that evening and you even have the option of picking up a “Ball in a Box” to enjoy while we celebrate the families and the Charity’s mission.
More details will be coming soon. We look forward to having you be part of this special evening.
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Two Houses, One Mission, and now ONE new place to find all the latest information about
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh and Morgantown!
We have merged our Houses’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter profiles to better reflect all our Charity has to offer to the communities we serve.
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