$50K donation supports new Ronald McDonald House

Last edited 1:16 p.m., Nov. 12, 2012

The owners of more than 60 McDonald's fast-food restaurants in the Ozarks have donated $50,000 to sponsor the living room of the second Ronald McDonald house in Springfield at Mercy Children's Hospital.

“This new Ronald McDonald House is only possible because of the generosity of contributors such as McDonald’s, Mercy Hospital Springfield and hundreds of others in the Ozarks," Ronald McDonald House Charities President and CEO Bonnie Keller said in a news release.

A grand opening for the second Springfield Ronald McDonald House is scheduled Nov. 30 on the sixth floor of Mercy Hospital Springfield's Children's Hospital.

Construction on the 8,200-square-foot Ronald McDonald House began in March. The facility has room to house 10 families per night. On March 29, Ronald McDonald House Charities announced a one-year fundraising goal exceeding $1.6 million, nearly $1 million of which has been raised to date, the release said.

Donations sources include donation boxes within McDonald's restaurants, the 19th annual Share a Heart Campaign and sponsorship support through the Price Cutter Charity Championship, according to the release.

Mercy Children's Hospital is undergoing renovations, with second-floor work expected to be completed in spring 2013.

The charity's other Ronald McDonald House in Springfield is located on East Primrose Street near CoxHealth's south campus. The charity provides living quarters for families who have seriously ill and injured children who must travel to Springfield for medical treatment.[[In-content Ad]]