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Albany Institute of History and Art 125 Washington Ave, Albany (518) 463-4478 · albanyinstitute.org
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Ronald McDonald House 139 S Lake Ave, Albany · (518) 438-2655 · rmhcofalbany.org
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amilies of young children suffering from life-threatening illnesses have many hardships. Among them is being relegated to hospital waiting rooms and eating vendingmachine meals as they wait — often for hours — for their child’s many treatments and exams. In Philadelphia in 1974, Philadelphia Eagles player Fred Hill and his wife Fran found themselves in those waiting rooms as their daughter Kim was being tested for leukemia. In the three years the Hills spent in and out of the hospital waiting room, they encountered many other parents who’d traveled long ways to wait in the same areas because they couldn’t afford hotel rooms. They started to organize and raise funds and enlist Eagles connections and then support from McDonald’s to help them open the first Ronald McDonald House — a “home away from home for families of ill children.” Today, more than 250 houses are in 26 countries. They’ve provided support to more than 10 million families since 1974. The Albany Ronald McDonald House opened in 1982 and in 2001 the Albany Medical Center opened a family room in the hospital itself. Now, Jeff Yule, executive director of the Albany Ronald McDonald House, says they’re expanding. They’ve just bought another house on South Lake Avenue and have added rooms and renovated the houses to be more accommodating and up to date. Yule says they’ll be finished this summer. “We have volunteers who come in and cook dinner every night, helping families with whatever they need,” he says. “Our philosophy is we don’t ask families to pay for any of the services we provide.” Which means they rely heavily on donors and volunteers to keep the houses in operation. Another service the organization provides is the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, which drives to schools to provide dental services to underserved kids in Albany. (That service is provided by St. Peter’s.) Yule says Ronald McDonald House is always looking for volunteers to cook and help families in the house. continued on page 40
Albany Institute photo by Aine Leader-Nagy.
he Albany Institute of History & Art is one of the oldest museums in the U.S. It was founded in 1791 and from 1998 to 2001 was completely renovated and expanded to bring the galleries and facilities up to 21st-century standards. Tammis Groft, executive director of the Institute, started as an intern in 1978, so she’s seen the huge transition. This summer another transition will be made as the long-running Mystery of the Albany Mummies exhibit ends. In its place will be a contemporary photography exhibition featuring works by five local photographers. Also famously on view at the Institute are the Hudson River School Paintings. You can also see a new exhibit in September, Under Cover, which explores decorative motifs found on quilts, coverlets and bed covers. And look for a new exhibit this summer called Small + Seductive — a collection of works by local artists who’ve been challenged with creating art that conforms to a certain dimension. The Institute provides artist talks and gallery receptions, summer art programs for kids and lectures on art and culture. And though the Egypt exhibit is closing, the permanent Ancient Egyptian Gallery will reopen in early September and include rare pieces from all over the world. Groft says the museum relies on donations to help them acquire new technologies “to broadcast educational lessons from museums galleries.” Donations also fund free admissions.