FOR IMMEDEDIATE RELEASE
                                                                              
Dan Harbaugh, President 
(314) 773-1100, ext. 1413
Cell (314) 971-3428
dharbaugh@rmhcstl.com 
OR
Stephanie Stangl, Communications Coordinator
(314)773-1100, ext. 1432
Cell (660) 528-0160
sstangl@rmhcstl.com

Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Metro St. Louis Celebrates Groundbreaking of its Third Ronald McDonald House® and the 300th House in the World
     New House will Serve Approximately 400 Families Receiving Treatment at West County Hospitals

St. Louis, November 5, 2009--On November 20, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Metro St. Louis, St. John’s Mercy Children’s Hospital, McDonald’s®, McDonald’s Owner/Operators, and the local St. Louis community will gather to commemorate the groundbreaking of the third Ronald McDonald House® in Metro St. Louis and the 300th House in the world. The ceremony will be held on the campus of St. John’s Mercy Medical Center at 10 a.m.

The House will provide a “home-away-from-home” for 20 families each night whose children are being treated at West County and other St. Louis hospitals. With an average length of stay projected to be 10 days, more than 400 families a year receiving treatment for their child in St. Louis will be helped. The Ronald McDonald House keeps families close to their sick child, which helps children heal better and faster. Research also shows that staying at a Ronald McDonald house improves communication with the child’s medical team and adherence to complicated treatment plans.

"St. John's Mercy Children's Hospital welcomes the opportunity to partner with and support Ronald McDonald House Charities as we bring a new level of family centered care and commitment to the St. Louis County community. It will be tremendous for families of our patients who travel a long distance for care to have a temporary home on our campus," commented Joseph Kahn, M.D., chair of the Department of Pediatrics at St. John's Mercy Children's Hospital. 

While funds are still needed to complete the project, groundbreaking on the new $4.5 million West County Ronald McDonald House was made possible by lead gifts from St. John’s Mercy and the St. Louis McDonald’s Co-Op and other generous contributors. The project is contracted by Kadean Construction, designed by Gray Design Group, and financed through UMB. 

RMHC received a $900,000 challenge grant lead gift from the Mabee Foundation in Tulsa, Okla. Other major donors include Prairie Farms Dairy, Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Mississippi Lime, Co., and UMB. The Capital Campaign is led by Co-Chairs Mike DeCola, of Mississippi Lime, Co.; John Riffle, of Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C.; Jim Finger, of Nies/Artcraft Companies, Tom Hillmeyer, a McDonald’s Owner/Operator; and Steve Hays, of RubinBrown.

“This will be a tremendous milestone for the entire Ronald McDonald House Charities organization and for our local Chapter as well,” said Dan Harbaugh, President of RMHC of Metro St. Louis.  “We are so thankful to all of our generous donors and supporters who will ensure we can help more families have access to the quality health care their children need and help them focus on what is most important – facing the weight of an illness together, as a family.” 

RMHC of Metro St. Louis has been a cornerstone of the St. Louis community for more than 28 years. Since 1981, the St. Louis Ronald McDonald House has served as a “home-away-from-home” to more than 27,000 families of seriously-ill children. In addition, three Ronald McDonald Family Rooms have provided comfort and care to more than 10,000 families of pediatric inpatients at St. Louis hospitals, since 2005. The House provides a comfortable bed, warm meals, hot showers, and a network of families who share a similar burden of having a seriously-ill child. Ronald McDonald Family Rooms provide many of these same comforts within hospitals. 

Families are only asked to make a donation of $5 per night, but no family is ever turned away based on their ability to pay. More than 40% of the families who call the Ronald McDonald House home while their child is hospitalized are unable to afford the $5 because of mounting medical bills and other expenses. The average stay for families is ten days; however, some families stay for months or even up to a year. 

“Ronald McDonald House Charities is happy to celebrate the groundbreaking of the 300th Ronald McDonald House,” said Marty Coyne, president and CEO, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Inc.  “Our vision is to extend our reach and be part of the solution in communities across the world.  RMHC of Metro St. Louis is a perfect example of a Chapter who is making a real difference in the community, by providing programs that ensure families have access to the health care they need.”  

For more information about Ronald McDonald House Charities of Metro St. Louis, please call (314) 773-1100 or visit us online at www.rmhcstl.com.