LOS ANGELES, April 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Individuals, families, businesses and community groups laced up across four Southern California locations for the Walk for Kids event, benefitting Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Southern California (RMHCSC).Spirited teams turned out to raise funds and awareness for six Ronald McDonald Houses, two Ronald McDonald Family Rooms and Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times®.
The organization aimed to raise $2 million during the non-competitive 5k pledge events which took place at Honda Center in Anaheim, Exposition Park in Los Angeles, Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario and Shoreline Park in Long Beach. Funds will be used to provide overnight stays for families at Ronald McDonald Houses and Ronald McDonald Family Rooms, and visits to Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times.
"It is so incredible to see thousands of Southern California residents at our Walk for Kids event today and we are so grateful for their support," said Vince Bryson, CEO, RMHCSC. "These dedicated participants secured donations from their networks of friends, family and colleagues so we can continue to provide vital programs and services to families of seriously ill children."
Ronald McDonald Houses, located in Bakersfield, Loma Linda, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Orange and Pasadena, offer low-cost, and often free, temporary housing for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals and medical centers. Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times provides children with cancer an opportunity to process their diagnosis and restore their self-esteem while learning independence and self-reliance in the therapeutic environment of the great outdoors. Ronald McDonald Family Rooms serve as an oasis inside the hospital for parents with children in the pediatric intensive care unit and neonatal intensive care unit.
About Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Southern California
For more than 35 years, Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Southern California (RMHCSC) programs have been committed to providing comfort, care and support to children and families through a variety of wellness and educational programs across Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. With the help of volunteers, RMHCSC operates six Ronald McDonald Houses in Bakersfield, Loma Linda, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Orange and Pasadena and two Ronald McDonald Family Rooms, which help seriously-ill children and their families stay together during difficult times. The organization is also the only Ronald McDonald House Charities chapter that operates the cost-free, medically supervised, year-round Camp Ronald McDonald For Good Times®, designed to help children rediscover their self-esteem, self-reliance and independence after experiencing cancer. Within Southern California, RMHCSC has provided nearly $17 million in funding through its Community Grants Board to deserving non-profits and funds four college scholarship programs that have awarded more than $4.2 million to exemplary high school students. More information about RMHCSC and its programs can be found at www.rmhcsc.org or on Facebook and Twitter.
Contact: | Sarah Stanley |
(323) 762-2447 | |
sarah.stanley@porternovelli.com |
SOURCE Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California
