The Ronald McDonald House serves as a home for families who have terminally ill children. Fred Hill, a football player for the Philadelphia Eagles, opened the first Ronald McDonald House. Hill's daughter, Kim, was diagnosed with leukemia, and treated at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. After realizing that very few hospitals provided sufficient accommodations for families, Hill enlisted the help of his teammates, and Ronald McDonald Charities, and renovated the very first Ronald McDonald House.
In 1979, the Grand Convention of Alpha Delta Pi marked the beginning of our national affiliation with the Ronald McDonald House (Children's Oncology Services, Inc.) Although the sorority had been involved in charity work since its inception, Alpha Delta Pi adopted Ronald McDonald House as the national focus of our volunteer efforts. The houses are located throughout the world near hospitals and serve young cancer patients and their families as a home away from home during their treatment and convalescence.
Collegiate and alumni members of Alpha Delta Pi volunteer to thousands of hours of work at the Ronald McDonald Houses and sponsor fundraising events for the house. By 1987, Alpha Delta Pi was recognized by the Children's oncology Services, Inc. for having already contributed over $2 million to Ronald McDonald Houses. Fundraising for this philanthropy is overseen by the Alpha Delta Pi Foundation, Inc.
Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) supports Ronald McDonald Houses in local communities, as well as funding grants to other not-for-profit organizations whose programs focus on children in need. Each Ronald McDonald House is different-- created by a team of concerned local citizens to meet the needs of their own area. This team typically consists of medical advisors from a children's hospital, parents of children who have been treated at the hospital, local McDonald Restaurant Franchisees and other volunteers. The houses are owned and operated by local non- profit corporations comprised of these citizens and are primarily funded by local contributions. A volunteer organization, The National Advisory Board To Children's Oncology Services, Inc., assists and provides information for communities with an interest in the Ronald McDonald House concept. Alpha Delta Pi has a permanent seat on this board. There are 195 Ronald McDonald Houses in 16 countries, whose function is to provide comfort, care and "a home-away-from-home" for the families of seriously ill children who are receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. For more information concerning Ronald McDonald House Charities, please visit the RMHC Home Page at www.rmhc.com.
