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handinhand

Fall 2014

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Family Room inside Edward Hospital

Since 1977, our charity has been providing a ‘home away from home’ for families of children in treatment at area hospitals. We are proud of our beautiful Houses, and the care, comfort, and community they provide to families every night of the year.

Some may not realize that we also provide a touch of home and hospitality within three of our partner hospitals for the families of the most critically ill children. Together, these three locations provide 18 private bedrooms which allow families to rest only steps away from the intensive care unit.

Our first such program began in 2006, when University of Chicago Medical Center invited us to assume management of seven sleep rooms that were built in their new Comer Children’s Hospital.

Our second medical partner was Edward Hospital, who reached out about the possibility of RMHC-CNI managing a similar space within their pediatric unit. Opened in 2012, our first official “Ronald McDonald Family Room” in Illinois boasts two private sleep rooms for families, along with a 1,400 square-foot space of hospitality for all pediatric families. Much like the first floor of our Houses, this space allows families to step out of the clinical environment to find a home-like setting with a kitchen area, living room, computer space, and play room.

Just a few months later, in June of 2012, we opened our third in-hospital program in the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital. Nine beautiful sleep rooms, along with a small sitting

area and lounge opened the day the new hospital opened. Staff at the Ronald McDonald House near Lurie Children’s manage these rooms. RMHC-CNI provides the families of the most critical patients a room in our Ronald McDonald Family Room. Once their child is more stable, the staff transitions the family to a room in our House right up the street.

After eight years of service to families inside Comer Children’s, we are happy to announce that we are expanding our hospitality beyond our original “sleep room” concept, offering hospitality to the families of all Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) parents, regardless of their need for a bedroom.

Thanks to a strong partnership with Comer Children’s, we are collaborating to renovate the NICU lounge and turn it into a hospitality lounge, with a laundry room, television area, and snack area. Our staff will now sit in the lounge area, opening up another sleep room and allowing us to offer a place of rest and comfort right around the corner from the NICU entrance.

Renovation began in early October and should be complete by late November. Ribbon cutting on our Ronald McDonald Family Room in Comer Children’s should take place in early December, expanding our hospitality to hundreds of families a year.

We are grateful to be able to work so closely with Comer Children’s, and all of our partner hospitals, to ensure that families of the most critical patients have nothing to worry about but the care of their little one in the hospital.

Ronald McDonald Family Room sitting area in Lurie Children’s

Expanding Care and Comfort forFamilies of the Most Critical Patients

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Our Hearts RememberY Mark AbbottHailey AdamusikMax AllenderRoaa AlshamasnehAlyssa AlvinArturo AyalaKhilay BarnesBrendan BellRobert BowmanNicole CaltonJorge Casillas

Emilio CerritosLuis Cintron, Jr.Jasmine DacostaLaila DebesaJazmine DiazAlexander ErtmanCameron FaheyCesar FloresYandel FrancoAilene GaytanAliana Hernandez Gonzalez

Arliz HernandezRebecca HernandezJace HerseyHunter JohnsonDylan Kang Langston Allen KoepkeJacob KowalikFelix LagcoLogon MarkoAmber MoosviSamara Munoz

Michael OlusugaAlexander PavlovKaitlin PerryCorey Pierce Austin PowellNyah RamosZoey ReedAngel ReyesEmily RistauAdam SmithLiam Smith

Frazer ThompsonChristopher TochimaniMelanie TownselAnna TrotterBowen WilcoxMegan WilkersonEleesha Zimmerman

Please accept our apologies for misspelling the name of Sofie Linscheid in the last issue.

2015 is shaping up to be an exciting year for the charity — hard to believe it is almost here! At times it seems like we were just dealing with Y2K issues (if that doesn’t date us nothing will!) and now with the expansion of our Ronald McDonald Family Room at University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital and the new Ronald McDonald House at Central DuPage Hospital, we will provide 153 rooms every night for families.

In addition to new programs to serve more families, there will also be a change in the leadership at our charity. Doug Porter approached the board in the summer of 2013 to discuss his desire to step down as Chief Executive Officer in mid-2015. While we knew his departure would be an incredible loss, we also knew that Doug had already stayed longer than his initial plan. We are grateful for his 16 years of service, the last 11 on staff as our CEO. We are so appreciative of his leadership during the merger process a decade ago, his superb efforts during our expansion plan, and all the fundraising he has led to help us serve more families.

As Doug recently told me, “This is simply the very best job in the world. The opportunity to work with so many talented staff and passionate volunteers and donors is humbling. The fact that we are all working to provide our families with care, comfort and compassion has been incredibly rewarding and satisfying. I’m tremendously honored to be given the opportunity to play a role in our accomplishments and it is wonderful to observe the very best of humanity here in Chicago. I will never ever forget what

we have done together and all the families we have cared for in their hours of greatest need. We know that “Togetherness Heals” and we are proud to build this sense of community for our families.”

Doug, the staff leadership team, and the Board are working closely to prepare for this transition. Here are some of the steps we are taking to ensure the right leadership is always in place:

• We continue to strengthen the leadership team from our deep bench. With the creation of a Vice President of Human and Capital Resources role (MA Laguatan), with new leadership for our Program and Services area (Lisa Mitchell), and with strong development, marketing and financial management continuity, we are well positioned to continue our upward momentum.

• We formed a succession committee of 10 experienced folks who represent a diverse pool of professions and leadership to lead the process. This group is led by Jon Zindel, CFO of William Blair, from our board. Doug is also involved with this group as we feel his insights into the position will be invaluable.

• After a competitive process, we selected the search firm of Kittleman & Associates to assist us in this search. Headquartered in Chicago and with over 50 years of experience in the non-profit world, they are very well positioned to ensure a thorough and competitive search for our new CEO.

• We have received Doug’s commitment for the next two years to assist us if we should seek his advice or insight. With 16 years of building our network and deep relationships throughout Chicago (and beyond!), we appreciate Doug making himself available should we need his guidance.

• We are currently seeking applicants for this position and the job posting can be found on our website at www.rmhccni.org/jobs. Please note that any person wishing to explore this opportunity should submit their qualifications to resumes@kittleman.net.

We’ll have an update next Spring, but in the meantime, please know that our team is incredibly focused on making 2015 a terrific year. Onward and upward!

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From Our Leadership

(L to R) Bill Budig, Chairman of the Board, and Doug Porter, CEO

A Message From Bill Budig and Doug Porter

A Bittersweet Transition

The hard work, dedication and generosity of the Women’s Auxiliary Board for the Ronald McDonald House near Lurie Children’s continues to make a significant impact on the lives of our families. To date, the Women’s Auxiliary, created in 2011 through the leadership of MaryAnne Smith, has raised over $100,000, primarily through its annual cocktail party. This past month’s party, held at City Winery in the West Loop, was a huge success!

Led today by co-chairs MaryAnne Smith, Carol Beitler and Lesley Prizant Goodman, the women not only raise funds for the charity but are also constant fixtures who volunteer their time at the House.

For more information on the Women’s Auxiliary, please contact Heidi Golden at HGolden@rmhccni.org.

2014 Women’s Auxiliary MembersCarol Beitler (co-chair), Mary Pat Burns, Diane Donald, Jami Donohue, Heather Farley, Vali Fotos, Heidi Golden, Lesley Prizant Goodman (co-chair), Daniella Guzman, Melinda Jakovich, Candace Jordan, Tara Kamradt, Catie Keogh, Nina Mariano, Helen Melchior, Denise McKinney, Katie Osgood, Kathleen Smith, and MaryAnne Smith (co-chair)

Women’s Auxiliary Board

For the past several years, our good friends at Bowman Displays have stepped forward and helped make our marketing and branding dreams a reality. Bowman Displays is a one-stop visual merchandising source offering innovative display solutions. They have helped us fulfill our signage and merchandising needs for many of our events and Houses. Bowman Displays has well exceeded our expectations and we are grateful for their generosity and expertise!

Bowman Displays

We’re On the Move!Midwest shipping leader Hoekstra Transportation, LLC, has wrapped two of its fleet semi-trailers with RMHC-CNI's message to increase awareness and visibility of the charity within the Chicagoland area. The two Hoekstra Transportation trailers bearing the design will travel within a 400-mile radius of Chicago — in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan — for the next several years.

Hoekstra Transportation began volunteering with our charity back in 2010. Since that time, the company has volunteered at several of our Houses — preparing home-cooked meals, providing gifts for children and families around the holidays, holding collection drives, donating office supplies and House wish list items.

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Making a Difference

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(L to R) MaryAnne Smith, Lesley Prizant Goodman and Carol Beitler

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Become A Supporter

This year marks the third year of “Bears Score Families Win" with fundraising partner Dr Pepper. Fans can join the Bears Score Families Win team by pledging a donation amount for each touchdown scored by the Chicago Bears this season. Dr Pepper will match fan donations up to $50,000. Our great partners at Bears Care have also pledged their support of the program by making a $10,000 donation to RMHC-CNI. Team members can sign up through the Chicago Bears website at www.ChicagoBears.com/BearsScore or by sending the text message ‘touchdown’ to 521-82.

When you sign up and make a pledge, you will be entered into a raffle to win game tickets and other signed items by past and present Chicago Bears.

Pictured here are Ronald McDonald and ’85 Chicago Bears Super Bowl Champ Otis Wilson who helped kick off the program before the Chicago Bears season opener.

Bears Score Families Win

We invite you to show your unique display of red and white stripes and to share your RMHC story with the Chicagoland community. Learn more at www.RonaldHouseChicago.org/OurStripes.

Asaph & Ella Joy Won, Ronald McDonald House Guests

'85 Chicago Bears player Otis Wilson

RonaldHouseChicago.org

December 2, 2014

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Partnerships and Support

On July 22, RMHC-CNI was recognized as an official charity partner at Clear Channel Chicago’s third annual community breakfast in downtown Chicago. The event, hosted by on-air radio personalities Nina Chantele and Tony Sculfield, brought together over 250 local leaders, partners, nonprofit organizations and prominent government officials, including The Honorable Patrick J. Quinn, Governor of Illinois; The Honorable Lisa Madigan, Attorney General of Illinois; The Honorable Rahm Emanuel, Mayor, City of Chicago; Garry McCarthy, Superintendent, Chicago Police Department; The Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Founder/President, Rainbow PUSH Coalition; Robyn Wheeler Grange, District Director for the Office of U.S. Representative Bobby L. Rush; and Cherita Logan, District Director for the Office of U.S. Representative Danny K. Davis, who showed their support of Clear Channel Chicago’s continued commitment to the local community.

“Community involvement is at the core of what we do every day and at Clear Channel we take our local involvement seriously as individuals and as a collective group,” said Earl Jones, Market President of Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Chicago.

During the month of February 2015, RMHC-CNI will collaborate with Clear Channel Chicago who will donate a significant amount of on air public service announcements, online digital support, community interviews, and other partnership opportunities across its cluster of seven stations: 107.5 WGCI-FM, 103.5 KISS FM, V103, Inspiration 1390AM, 95.5 El Patrón, 97.5 ESPN Deportes and 93.9 MYFM.

Action Booth assists RMHC-CNI at multiple events each year by providing a fully interactive photo experience for our donors and supporters. They capture amazing images and instantly produce photos for our guests. Thanks to Action Booth, who generously donates their time, talent and services to help make our events so memorable.

Clear Channel

Action Booth

Adventures of AiIn September, Adventures of Ai's World Charity Cup competition kicked off at our Ronald McDonald House near Lurie Children’s with some amazing special guests. Duncan Keith, Cliff Koroll, Tommy Hawk, Clark Cub and Ronald McDonald were all there as Ai book author, Craig Bouchard, launched The Adventures of Ai video game. A percentage of the U.S. proceeds from The Adventures of Ai will be split between three Chicagoland Charities, which includes RMHC-CNI.

(L to R) Christina Thomas, Vice President of Annual Campaign, RMHC-CNI, and Earl Jones, Market President of Clear Channel

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Save the Date6

Macy’s Passport Presents Glamorama, themed ‘Fashion Rocks’, was a sellout! Raising nearly $250,000 to benefit RMHC-CNI for the sixth year in a row, Glamorama hosted over 1,500 ‘fashionistas’ on Friday, August 8th at the Harris Theater. Ryan Seacrest introduced Samantha Roberson, age 10, who shared her story with attendees. Samantha suffers from a rare form of bone cancer and travels every week from Roscoe, Ill. to stay at the Ronald McDonald House near Lurie Children’s while she receives her treatments. Samantha had the opportunity to get glamorous with a personal shopper at Macy’s, joined Macy’s Chairman and CEO Terry Lundgren on stage to kick off the show, and had an opportunity to meet Jason Derulo, Hello Kitty and Before You Exit — the headlining entertainment of the evening.

Around the CharityOn Wednesday, July 16th, we celebrated our 28th Annual Golf Classic, hosting nearly 400 golfers for a wonderful day at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Lemont, Ill. Mark Giangreco (ABC-7), Ryan Baker (CBS2), Ronald McDonald and Benny the Bull all helped welcome our golfers to the tournament, where they enjoyed 18 holes of golf, exciting contests, a one-of-a-kind raffle and auction. This year’s tournament helped raise over $230,000 to support our work with the families of hospitalized children.

On November 9th the streets of Chicago will be flooded with 40,000 participants running through the heart of Chicago and later celebrating at a post-race party in Grant Park. In this fifth year of partnering with RAM Racing for the Hot Chocolate 5/15K race, participants will have the opportunity to “go the extra mile” and fundraise for RMHC-CNI.

Macy’s Glamorama Fashion Show

28th Annual Golf Classic

Hot Chocolate 5/15K — America’s Sweetest Race

Big Mac Under Glass,Saturday, March 21st, 2015

On August 2nd we hosted the 4th Annual “Pulling for the House” event in the backyard of Golden State Foods’ brand new distribution center in McCook, Ill. Nine teams fundraised on behalf of their favorite House to compete in this tug-of-war style truck pull! With everyone’s combined hard work and dedication, we were able to “pull in” over $47,000 for our families!

Pulling for the House

On December 7th, 2014, RMHC-CNI will host our 3rd annual “Skate with the Greats” event at the Bobby Hull Community Ice Rink in Cicero, Illinois. The afternoon will include fans skating with Blackhawks legends from the past and current players Andrew Shaw and Kris Versteeg on hand to sign autographs. Come out and see your favorite players take the ice!

Skate with the Greats

Sheila & Michael’s 10th Anniversary Holiday ExtravaganzaSunday, December 14th, 2014

Forest of Love

The Forest of Love is a magnificent bronze wall sculpture that was created in memory of Nicholas V. Trkla in 1997. The sculpture is displayed in the rotunda of our House near University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital.

The sculpture consists of leaves, butterflies and doves which are purchased and engraved with messages celebrating the lives and milestones of special people.

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Near Comer25th Anniversary of 24 Hour “Chop Around the Clock"Craig Foltos, owner of Foltos Tonsorial in Batavia, and Ronald McDonald at the 25th anniversary of the 24 Hour Chop Around the Clock. For 24 hours straight, Craig cuts, trims and styles hair, giving all of the proceeds to the Ronald McDonald House. This year, Craig’s barbering skills raised $15,000 for our House!

The Sitar familyThe Sitar family, longtime friends of the House, participated in the “Pull for the House” this year and raised almost $8,000. They originally stayed with their son, John, who passed away a number of years ago. Since their experience at the House, they have remained strong supporters of the House, returning year after year to the pull.

Alex Sutton and the Boy Scouts Thanks to Alex Sutton and his fellow boy scouts, our driveway has an American flag flying proudly over our House. Alex planned, purchased, and installed our new flag pole as part of his Eagle Scout project. Alex and the Sutton family stayed here ten years ago when his brother Giles passed away. Since that time they have remembered our House through service, meals and donations.

“You will be forever in our hearts.” Your loving family ha

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Near Lurie Children’s

Family VideoLindsay, one of our great interns, was very busy this past summer creating a welcome video for potential families at the Ronald McDonald House. The video shows families and volunteers the amazing benefits of staying at the Ronald McDonald House and helps answer questions for families who are coming for the first time. Come take a look at Lindsay’s great work! www.RonaldHouseChicago.org/pageslurie

Pulling Champions at the HousePulling for the House was a great success for the entire chapter. The Lurie House champions raised significant funds and we extend a huge congratulations and thank you to the friends and family of House employees Nubia Chaidez and Ben Morgridge for making a difference in exceeding this year’s event goals!

Battle of the Bags The Red Shoe Society’s 8th Annual Battle of the Bags tournament was held on August 16th at Deuce’s and The Diamond Club in Wrigleyville. The event hosted over 50 spectators and 64 players, raising more than $10,000 for the House. Next up for the Red Shoe Society of Chicago is the 15th Annual Wine Social on February 27th, 2015. Save the date and log on to www.RonaldHouseChicago.org/redshoesociety for more information.

A special thank you to our event sponsors First Communications and Weinberg Choi Realty.

Lurie’s 2nd Birthday CelebrationOn June 26, the Lurie House Community Council led an exciting 2nd Birthday party at the House for families and friends. Families enjoyed a great meal from our Meals from the Heart groups, a special birthday cake, craft activities, a bags tournament on the rooftop, SWIRLZ cupcakes, face painting, and a sing-along. The event was a great recognition of families, volunteers, donors, board members and staff who have made this House a home for the past two years.

Flying Chef’s Silver Anniversary at the Lurie House and Ten Year Celebration A very dedicated and caring group of flight attendants, led by Kathy Kirk, celebrated their 25th meal provided for families at the Lurie House. We presented the group with a “silver anniversary” token of appreciation. This group also celebrated their 10th anniversary year of providing meals for our families at the old House on Deming and the new House near Lurie combined!

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Near Loyola“Loyola In Bloom"We are excited to share some significant changes coming to the House near Loyola. “Loyola In Bloom”, the campaign to renovate our “home away from home”, officially kicked off September 17th as we welcomed the House’s founders back to the House for the unveiling of this exciting venture. Funds raised through the campaign will support much-needed renovations and upgrades to our kitchen, dining and other first floor areas. Our kitchen has hosted over 11,200 families as they cooked together and has welcomed thousands of dedicated volunteers over the past 19 years. With our 20th anniversary quickly approaching, it is time to give the heart of our House the update it needs. The kickoff event marked the first of many fundraisers to come, as we work together toward our fundraising goal of $600,000. If you are interested in learning more about Loyola In Bloom please visit www.ronaldhousechicago.com/inbloom.

Golfing for our FamiliesWe are grateful to have two incredibly committed volunteers host annual golf events to benefit the Ronald McDonald House near Loyola every year. Year after year, Ken Reimer and his committed team of volunteers at KBI Beverage hold the KBI Golf Classic in memory of Madeline Renee Reimer. Foursomes had a fantastic time at the Aurora Country Club, swinging away and raising over $70,000. In June, our incredibly dedicated crew of volunteers from the Technology Classic hosted their annual golf scramble at Cog Hill, raising over $1 million for our charity over the years. We are grateful that both of these incredible events will not only continue to support the general operations of the Ronald McDonald House near Loyola, but will also make a significant contribution to our “In Bloom” campaign, bringing new comforts of home to our House.

Brickman Founder’s DayOn August 27th and in celebration of their 75th Founder’s Day, landscaping company Brickman Group transformed the “secret garden” at the Ronald McDonald House near Loyola Medical Center. The existing garden space was transformed into a place of fun, relaxation and beauty. Over 125 landscape professionals volunteered their time and expertise to completely transform our grounds.

The Loyola House accepts a check from KBI Beverage

Near Advocate

Running for Hope This past June was another sunny successful day for the record books, as past families, volunteers, and local runners and walkers joined forces at the 7th Annual “Running for Hope”. Thanks to the hard work of the Running for Hope Association and its committee, the House received a $40,000 donation! Save the date for next year’s run on Sunday, June 7th!

Prestige MaintenanceWe couldn’t be more grateful for our generous friends at Prestige Maintenance, USA who adopted our House and collected items off our wish list, gave a monetary donation and came to the House and cleaned all of our common area carpets!

SAVe THe DATe!Join us for our 4th Annual Vegas Night, which will be held on November 15, 2014 at the Doubletree Hilton in Alsip, Ill. To buy tickets or for more information, log on to www.rmhccni.org/vegasnight/.

Pulling for the HouseA special thanks to our two teams — the “Tug O Warriors” and “Cosmo-Nuts” for raising over $5,600 for the House at this year’s Pulling for the House. Cosmo-Nuts even took home the trophy for the fastest pull!

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This year the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile expanded its outreach beyond the Southside of Chicagoland to include children in need in the northwest area of Chicagoland. The Care Mobile now visits schools twice a month in Park Ridge, in addition to its already scheduled visits to the Southside of Chicago four to five days a week.

Thanks to these additional days, our Ronald McDonald Care Mobile has increased its outreach by 5% this year, providing much needed health care to over 1,500 children through August of this year.

Scholarship Program Celebrates Ninth Year

We are proud to announce the winners for 2014:

Araceli Alvarez - Whitney Young High School

Eric Cuevas – Lockport Township High School

Alberto Covarrubias – Mount Carmen High School

Megan Garand – Victor Andrew High School

Sandra Garcia – Juarez Community Academy

Helen Li – Whitney Young High School

Emily Peters – A.B. Shepard High School

Kennedy Reese – Marist High School

Heather Rickord – Willowbrook High School

Shane Ryan – Prospect High School

Mira Staykora – Willowbrook High School

Benjamin Williams – Whitney Young High School

Scholarship applications are available now for high school seniors who are entering college in 2015. To access the application, log on to www.rmhc.org/rmhc-us-scholarships.

A student receives a school physical at the Sullivan High School/Kilmer Elementary School Back to School Fair in August.

Reaching More Children Than Ever

Near Advocate RMHC-CNI Programs

On July 24, RMHC-CNI was delighted to welcome our current and brand new scholarship winners at its annual scholarship winners reception. The event was held on a beautiful summer evening on the rooftop of the Ronald McDonald House near Lurie Children’s. We hosted our incredibly accomplished

scholarship winners and their families and friends, board members, committed supporters, and distinguished guests.

We were especially honored to welcome J.C. Gonzalez-Mendez, Senior Vice President, McDonald’s Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability and CEO of RMHC Global, who

shared words of wisdom and insight with students and guests.

Each year RMHC-CNI’s Education Committee reads, reviews and interviews scholarship candidates from an impressive pool of high school seniors. The committee is charged with selecting winners who

are academically outstanding, financially disadvantaged, and community minded. Although not a requirement for receiving a scholarship, RMHC-CNI is interested in students who may already have an association with the charity and/or are interested in pursuing a degree in the medical field.

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2014 Scholarship Winners Reception

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Edward Family RoomPassing On The Passion For Jessica Jozwiak, volunteering in the Family Room is a perfect combination of serving her Naperville community and serving the charity that was near and dear to her father’s heart, Cliff Raber. Cliff was the Vice President of Government Relations for McDonald’s Corporation. Jessica watched her father’s passion for RMHC-CNI as she was growing up and now spends her time volunteering as a Family Ambassador, serving as a Chair for the Family Room Community Council and Co-Chair of “Uncork Your Support", the annual wine tasting fundraising event. She has lived in Naperville since 1968 and has built awareness about the charity through her Naperville network. Her two daughters, Heather (21), and Emily (18) are the next generation to follow in their grandfather’s footsteps. Heather writes newsletter articles to highlight our volunteers and Emily serves as a Family Ambassador in the Family Room. Not to be left out, Eric Jozwiak, Jessica’s husband, is also a proud supporter of the Ronald McDonald Family Room who donates a meal once a month through the company he owns — Keystone Business Services.

Paying it Forward Mike, Whitney and little Brady Adamson have truly become a part of the family at the Ronald McDonald Family Room. Brady began his stay in the NICU in May and his parents were able to stay in our sleep room to be close to Brady. In the first few weeks, the family, their employers and co-workers started giving to the Family Room through meals, monetary donations, and gift cards. The staff at Plainfield East High School (where Mike is a coach and teacher) donated 10 bags of food for the Family Room and Whitney’s boss and co-workers at Phonac Corporation donated money to purchase meals for the families as well as gift cards. We were thrilled that the family was able to take Brady home in September.

White eagle Golf Club The White Eagle Golf Club has been providing families with a weekly buffet feast since March of this year. When General Manager and COO Paul Geallis first toured the Family Room, he was touched by the number of families we serve and decided to support them in any way he could. The families here have named Wednesdays “White Eagle Wednesdays” and always look forward to lunch time!

(L to R) Steve Savoy, Executive Chef; Paul Geallis, General Manager & COO; and Louie Sanchez, Banquets Manager

The Adamson Family

Jessica Jozwiak & Family

Cliff Raber, former V.P. of Government Relations, McDonald’s Corporation

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RMHC Celebrates

2014 marks the 40th Anniversary of the opening of the very first Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

It all started with one child who needed health care, one family who hoped to stay nearby and one community that came together to build the first Ronald McDonald House.

Kim Hill, a little girl who battled leukemia, was that one child who inspired the RMHC system. Her mother, Fran Hill and her father, former NFL Philadelphia Eagles player Fred Hill, slept on hospital chairs and ate from vending machines to stay by her side. The Hill family’s struggle to remain close to their daughter while receiving treatment inspired one doctor, one football team, one community and one company — McDonald’s — to create and build the first Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia in 1974.

From the moment the doors opened, to the first Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia 40 years ago, the entire McDonald’s system (Owner/Operators, suppliers, employees and customers) has been proud to call the mission of RMHC their own.

In the 40 years since RMHC was first established, McDonald’s has contributed unwavering support — including monetary contributions, volunteerism and board participation — all of which have helped impact countless lives by giving children support, stability and the best medicine of all — their families.

It’s incredible to see how far RMHC has come since the first House opened. The organization, as it exists today, boasts the following statistics:

Y 345 Ronald McDonald Houses in 38 countries and regions.

Y 202 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms in 23 countries and regions.

Y 52 Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles in 9 countries and regions

Y 62 countries and regions will have nine RMHC programs and services by the end of 2014.

Y 8.9 million children and their families are served by RMHC each year around the world.

Y 20,000 families benefit from RMHC family-centered programs around the world each day — saving over $649 million in meal and lodging costs annually.

Y 78% of the world’s top children’s hospitals have access to at least one core RMHC program.

Making a Difference Around the World for 40 Years

Kim Hill, who inspired the concept of the first Ronald McDonald House

First Ronald McDonald House located in Philadelphia, PA

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Like many of our volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House near Lurie Children’s, Jodi Lessmann is a resident of the Streeterville neighborhood. “I knew I wanted to volunteer somewhere, but I hadn’t decided on an organization,” said Jodi. A few years ago, she watched as our House was being built on Grand Avenue. As she learned more about the mission of our organization and the need for volunteers at our new expanded facility, she jumped right in. “Being a family-oriented person and having a love for children, I knew this would be an organization I wanted to lend my time to,” Jodi said.

Jodi began volunteering at the House in 2013 and currently works as a Family Ambassador two shifts each month. She has also raised her hand to help at many of our special events and fundraisers. She is always willing to do whatever is needed, from selling raffle tickets to sharing her skills as a photographer. Jodi is a dynamic ambassador for the charity and is great at interacting with guests at our events. She’s even gotten her own friends more involved through our Meals from the Heart program, and they will be cooking together again in January.

Now in her 25th year as a House volunteer, Barb Serpe will never forget her first day at the House. It was a Monday in June 1990, and she met the then House Manager Ruth Peckenpaugh. Ruth greeted Barb at the door with a cheery "Good morning! You will have to learn as you go."

Barb did indeed learn as she went, still arriving every Monday morning to tackle the numerous tasks around the House. "Mondays are a good day. Refrigerators need to be cleaned of leftovers; the coffee counter needs refreshing, coffee pots washed and coffee machine wiped clean. Then there is time to catch up with the families already here and welcome new families and give them the House tour. Time flies by," Barb says.

Over the years, Barb has worn many hats. She has served on the House Board, modeled at one of our fashion show fundraisers, volunteered at other fundraising functions and visited other Houses while traveling. Barb's husband Ron drops in from time to time to drop off pop tabs and to perform general chores.

The House recently honored Barb with a special crystal sculpture bestowed only to the most outstanding volunteers. Barb is only the third volunteer to receive this award from our House.

“My time at the House has been an amazing journey and a blessing to our lives. The most precious memories are of the families I have met and the friends I have made at our special House That Love Built," Barb said.

Our Volunteers

Our cool team of volunteers from Southwest recently came to the House to cook dinner and to host movie night for our families. Southwest has been a long-time supporter of RMHC-CNI and of this House, and we are thrilled that the tradition continues. Every month, Southwest volunteers, led by James Goodman and Michaeline Johnson, come to the House to provide a meal and brighten the House with their smiles. They’ve planned their Meals from the Heart dates so they can get as many of their Southwest colleagues as possible involved with the House.

Southwest has built their business on the idea of going the extra mile to make people smile. Their energetic volunteers bring that same positive attitude to the families, offering a pleasant experience to everyone they meet. In addition to movie night — complete with an outdoor big screen, candy and popcorn — James and Michaeline also went out of their way to schedule a visit to the House on Easter.

A lively Southwest group spent the holiday making brunch and hosting a craft project for the children in the House. This was followed by an Easter egg hunt, and a surprise visit from the Easter Bunny. Even an ordinary weekday evening becomes better when Southwest volunteers bring their boundless enthusiasm to the House. We can’t wait to see what will happen when Southwest comes to the House next!

Near Lurie Children's Near LoyolaNear Comer

Jodi Lessmann Southwest Airlines Barb Serpe

Want to become part of our Volunteer Family? Visit us at RonaldHouseChicago.org/volunteer

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Shirley Ferenc and Rosemarie “Cookie” Skopec have been friends for over 35 years. Both widowed, they were looking for an organization to donate their time. Shirley started volunteering with us when the House first opened and Cookie joined soon thereafter.

Not only do they help at our Welcome Desk and around the House, but they also come to the House multiple times a week on a special mission — to pass on unconsumed food to those in need.

Volunteer groups that partake in our “Meals from the Heart” program provide amazing meals for the families who stay with us. Once the groups finish serving their meal for the night, they package it and leave it in the refrigerator. After a few days Cookie, with help from Shirley, pass on the leftover food that has not been eaten to local PADS shelters.

Shirley and Cookie are both Oak Lawn residents that enjoy having the Ronald McDonald House in their backyard. Shirley is the proud mother of three sons and four grandsons. Cookie is the proud mother of three daughters and one son and grandmother to seven granddaughters and three grandsons.

We thank Cookie and Shirley for their dedication to the Ronald McDonald House and for finding a unique way to help our House and countless others!

Lynn Story and Mary Jo Lundin have been volunteering at RMHC-CNI events for over 10 years, and their commitment has been astounding. Lynn started volunteering with us at one of our early Sporting Clays events and thankfully, she kept coming back. She later recruited her high school friend, Mary Jo Lundin.

Lynn and Mary Jo first teamed together at our Annual Golf Classic and have been a dynamic duo at events ever since. The ladies have been dubbed “Auction All-Stars” by our staff and they are always sought after to help set up décor and to create appealing auction displays. Lynn has also been on our Big Mac Under Glass committee, lending her helping hand to our biggest fundraiser.

“The time spent with families, hearing their stories about the positive difference RMHC-CNI has made in helping them make it through dark, difficult times drives us to do more,” Mary Joe said.

Near Advocate Family RoomChapter

Shirley Ferenc & Rosemarie Skopec Janet JuarezLynn Story & Mary Jo Lundin

Janet began volunteering as a Family Ambassador in the Family Room in March 2012 when the Family Room first opened. She felt led to give back after one of her family members experienced the love and care provided at a Ronald McDonald House.

Janet volunteers on Wednesdays and has enjoyed getting to know many of the families that visit the hospital on a weekly basis.

In addition to her Family Room Ambassador responsibilities, Janet has helped develop more streamlined processes for the Family Room operations and has joined our Family Room Community Council. Janet has passed on her love of volunteering to her daughter, Miranda, who will be conducting tours for donor groups in the fall and co-chairing a new pop tab community day in May 2015. Janet’s husband John and her son Connor also joined Janet and Miranda at our “Pulling for the House” event which helped raise money for our Family Room Program.

“I’m reminded each time I volunteer how much I have been given and am so thankful,” Janet said.

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Ronald McDonald House Charities®of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana1301 W. 22nd Street, Suite 905Oak Brook, Illinois 60523

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:Paul Huebener, Chairman Emeritus Bill Budig, ChairmanBrian Salerno, Vice ChairmanMike Kotynek, TreasurerMary Leonard, Secretary Rose Ann Anschuetz Ryan BakerJim Brady Mark Butterly, M.D.Jeff Cantalupo John Carnagio Ryan Dardis Ray DeThorne Diane Donald Mark Duffy Joe Endress Mark GiangrecoDeborah Gonzalez-MendezLesley Prizant GoodmanMarion Gross Mary Herrmann Tara Kamradt Nicholas Karavites Jodi Keller-Wheeler Cam Kennedy Cliff Koroll Mike Kregor Dean Lane Rob LangDave Lewis Frank LiberioDerrick Lott

Rick McGrath Lisa Newman Jim Norberg John O’Keefe Kevin Ozan Sandy ProhammerRam Reddy Todd SchaeferMichael SchambergerEric SchroederBob SheehanJohn Shultz Charlie StoneNancy Tallent Michael ThompsonJon Zindel

EDITOR:Jill SterlingDirector of Public Affairs(630) 623-5175

RMHC-CNI OFFICEDoug Porter, Chief Executive Officer1301 W. 22nd Street, Suite 905Oak Brook, Illinois 60523 (630) 623-5300 office(630) 623-5307 direct(630) 623-0808 faxRonaldHouseChicago.org

RONAlD McDONAlD HOuSES:Near Advocate Children’s HospitalAnne Czarnecki, Senior House Director4410 W. 93rd StreetOak Lawn, IL 60453(708) 423-5285 (708) 423-5658 fax

Near Loyola University Medical CenterLisa Mitchell, Vice President, Programs and Services, and Senior House DirectorTripp Avenue at Air Mail RoadP. O. Box 7002Hines, IL 60141(708) 327-2273 (708) 327-6000 fax

Near Lurie Children’sMark Shouger, Managing Director211 E. Grand AvenueChicago, IL 60611(312) 888-2500(312) 464-0689 fax

Near University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital Kelly Evans, Senior House DirectorMardelle Gundlach, House Director5444 S. Drexel Avenue Chicago, IL 60615(773) 324-5437 (773) 493-2905 fax

RONAlD McDONAlD FAMIlY ROOM in Edward HospitalKatie Allabough, Family Room Director 801 S. Washington St. Naperville, IL 60540 (630) 527-3800

____ My name and address need correcting as shown.____ I received more than one issue of this newsletter.____ I would like to share this newsletter with a friend (provide address information).____ I would like to be removed from your database.

Please return the above to the RMHC-CNI office in Oak Brook. Thank you.

Help us update our information

Top Wish List Items Across Our Charity

K-cup coffee (regular)

Napkins

Paper towels

Individual snacks and cereals

Heavy duty paper plates

7/13/33 gallon garbage bags

Gift cards to Costco, Jewel, Walmart, Walgreens, Menards, Target, and Office Max

Contact your House/Program (below) for more information!

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