USPS Publication Number 16300
T h is C om mu n i t y N ewsp a p er is a pu bl ica t ion of E sca m bia / S a n ta Rosa B a r Assoc ia t ion
Se r v i ng t he Fi r st Jud icial Ci rcu it
Section A, Page 1
Vol. 18, No. 17
Visit The Summation Weekly Online: www.summationweekly.com
April 25, 2018
1 Section, 8 Pages
Ronald McDonald House provides by Ashley Gillis sanctuary for families in time of crisis Our House becomes a family’s home for days, weeks, and even months while their child is battling an illness, recovering from surgery, or coping with serious health issues. In the middle of their most challenging times, families have a comforting place to call home at the Ronald McDonald House – a place to find other families facing similar circumstances, a place where they can be close to their child, and a place where families can stay together. For families facing these challenges, even the smallest acts of kindness make a significant impact.
Kaps for Kids is our largest fundraiser, generating more than $100,000 per year; the equivalent of 1,000 room nights for struggling families. Ronald McDonald House families come in all shapes and sizes, with members of all ages, races, backgrounds and cultures. And every now and then, we meet a family who took quite a journey to meet their son for the first time. From the Yost family of Oronogo, Missouri:
“On August 21st, while the rest of the world watched the solar eclipse, the stars aligned for our family when we were contacted by a young mother who was making an adoption plan for her son. She had chosen us to be his parents and asked if we could quickly fly from Missouri to Pensacola. The next thirty-six hours were a joyful flash, then she told us he was experiencing respiratory distress. By the time we arrived, he was having difficulty eating as well as breathing. When we planned to adopt, we never thought about the possibility of medical complications. We had been saving money for adoption fees and expenses, but considering additional medical costs made the situation very stressful. We were brand new parents, miles away from family and everything was new and scary. The warm hugs and smiling faces at the House brought us much needed comfort during our week-long stay. On many occasions, we had forgotten to eat, but there was always something yummy to grab. We would never have had the money to stay in such a nice place. The day Kellen was released from NICU, we took him home to RMH. Everyone was so excited to meet him! This experience has been very humbling. We thank you and will never forget you showing us so much love.”
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Florida opened our first House in 1984. We had six bedrooms and served 271 families in that first year. In response to the growing need, we relocated to our current House in 2010. We now have 26 bedrooms to help keep even more families close during a medical crisis. With 1,100 plus families served annually and over 30,000 individuals served, gracious donors and volunteers help continue our mission of keeping families close. There are many ways to help support RMH, one is as easy as taking a casual day. What does a community-wide casual day have to do with helping families with critically ill children? For over a decade, our supporters “going casual” has meant the world to the Ronald McDonald House families. Kaps for Kids (K4K) is our largest fundraiser, generating more than $100,000 per year; the equivalent of 1,000 room nights for struggling families. Every person who donates for this year’s pink shirt helps make our House
a home. A special thanks to all of our area children who entered their art to be considered for the front of our shirt. Our winner is: Kristen Gaubert from Lipscomb Elementary! Want to join Kristen and paint the town pink? Become a Kaps 4 Kids team! K4K teams are typically made up of co-workers, family members, friends or anyone wanting to get involved. Each team appoints a team captain who is in charge of gathering orders and picking up merchandise at the pick-up event. The last step? Proudly wear your gear on Friday, April 27th - K4K Day! One of our dads shared his heartfelt thank you, “Staying at the Ronald McDonald House was the best opportunity that we could have possibly even imagined. Without a room at the Ronald McDonald House, we would have never been able to spend the amount of time with our newborn son during the first 15 days of his life. For that ability, I will be eternally grateful.”
The warm hugs and smiling faces at the House brought us much needed comfort during our week-long stay.