Fall 2021 Newsletter

Serving more families

Now more than ever.

FALL 2021

EXECUTIVE MESSAGE Hello Ronald McDonald House Friends and Family, I am so excited for this opportunity and to be the new Executive Director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Inland Northwest (RMHC INW). To share a little about myself, I was born and raised in Spokane and have deep connections within the community. I have worked a number of years in the nonprofit sector, having grown my career at YMCA Camp Reed, where I started as a seasonal summer staff counselor and excelled into the role of Executive Director. When not working at camp, I received my Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Washington and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University.

I like to stay active outside of work, and many of my hobbies are focused around the Inland Northwest’s offerings. Some of these activities include skiing, golfing, rec-league softball, and walks with my dog. I enjoy all sports and love to cheer on my Huskies and Bulldogs!

In the coming weeks, I look forward to meeting more and more of our RMHC family and entrench myself in our culture. I have been involved in sports all my life, and I value a team atmosphere. I look to ensure everyone on this team has the tools necessary to help RMHC thrive and move forward coming out of the pandemic. What a great place the Ronald McDonald House is, and I look forward to the times ahead.

Thank you!

Over the years, I have attended various events and supported the mission of serving more families by participating in the Make-A-Meal program. I was naturally drawn to RMHC INW’s mission as a person driven by service and uplifting others. I promise to give my best to ensure the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Inland Northwest will always be a “HomeAway-From-Home” for families requiring critical medical care from our premier hospital community.

I have spent the last two weeks learning more and more about this incredible organization.

I have visited multiple locations, including both our North Idaho House and the Spokane Campus. During my time at both Houses, I have been able to meet with staff, volunteers, Board members, and families. It is clear how special this organization is to the community, and I have made the right choice to come here. The staff’s passion and care for our families and our mission is a gift to see and is rewarding as the new leader for this organization.

Phil Harrison Executive Director Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Inland Northwest

COMING JANUARY 2022 COOK WITH US AND HELP SUPPORT OUR FAMILIES Culinary lessons from our family to yours!

SK BALL: DENIM AND DIAMONDS Pair your favorite blue jeans with your dressiest diamonds and join us at Northern Quest Resort and Casino on Friday, October 1, 2021 for a one-of-a-kind barn dance featuring live music from Kelly Hughes Band, line dancing, BBQ, mechanical bull, corn hole, roping competition, a silent auction, and more! Doors open at 5:00pm.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW: $150.00 per person https://rmhcspokane.ejoinme.org/SKballtickets

Join Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Inland Northwest and cook along with featured guest chefs as they guide you through delicious recipes, with tips and tricks on improving your cooking skills.

You can tune in on the KHQ Local News station, SWX Right Now, and SWX Right Now Online on the first Thursday of every month.

Meet Our Upcoming Featured Guest Chefs: Jordan Obermeyer Emrys Fermentations Aaron Fish Eat Good Group Michael Wiley Wiley’s Downtown Bistro and Prohibition Gastropub Travis Dickinson Cochinito Taqueria

THIS YEAR’S BULL RIDING SPONSOR! Thank you Architerra Homes for your ongoing support of our mission and families!

We can’t wait to create amazing meals with you while benefiting RMHC INW and celebrating our mission to keep families close!

RMHC INW SELECTED AS BEST PLACES TO WORK IN THE INLAND NORTHWEST! We are honored to have been named one of the Best Places to Work in the Inland Northwest in 2018, 2019, and 2021.

We focus not only on our guest families, but on our staff of loyal individuals as well. Life exists outside of work, and RMHC INW understands.

FALLEN CANCER WARRIOR In Memory of Roberta ‘Berta’ Maestas Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Inland Northwest lost one of our cancer warriors this year. Roberta “Berta” Maestas received her Angel Wings after a two-and-a-half year battle with Osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer.

For a little over 16 months, our House was her “Home-Away-From-Home.” Berta’s joyful personality and contagious smile lives on in our hearts.

ON THE COVER Meet Calliegh Since RMHC INW opened the doors of our South House in 1987, we have never closed them. Not for a day, not for an hour. In that time, we have served over 21,000 families.

We are extremely proud of our community’s reputation for pediatric care, which is resulting in an increased need for our services. That’s why we are so excited to have eliminated the chronic wait list of families needing our help with the addition of our North House in March 2020. Our Spokane Family Campus is now complete and has the ability to support 56 families, or hundreds of people everyday.

Our building cost was $17.5 million and we have $3.2 million left to raise. We have had great success with our fundraising so far, but we need a lot more Hope and Love to complete our fundraising goal.

GIVE TO THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN: https://rmhcinlandnw.org/join-us/

Eight-year-old Calliegh and her grandmother Helen from Grand Coulee Dam have been staying at the Spokane Campus North House for 173 days while she waits for a match to receive a kidney transplant.

Calliegh was misdiagnosed with a bladder infection at the end of January. When her health continued to decline even while on antibiotics, she was immediately rushed to Sacred Heart, where doctors discovered her kidneys had only grown to the size of a newborn.

Before staying at the House, Calliegh and Helen were driving 4 hours each day to receive 4.5 hours of dialysis. “It’s been a godsend here,” says Helen, “the friends we have met, hearing their stories, the workers, everyone has been so kind and comforting.”

Calliegh and her grandmother expect to be staying with us through the end of Fall until they find a match.

While they wait, Ronald McDonald House of the Inland Northwest is here for her and her family just as it has been for other families that have needed a “Home-Away-From-Home.”

KEEPING FAMILIES TOGETHER THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY FROM TOYOTA

RMHC OF THE INLAND NORTHWEST BOARD MEMBERS Debbie Andrews, President Stacia Rasmussen, Pres. Elect Connie Bischoff, Past Pres.

Tracey Junkermier, Secretary Terri Skubitz, Treasurer

RMHC INW extends our sincere gratitude to our amazing partners at Toyota and their community. Not only have they made financial contributions to help support our mission, they’ve also gifted products, their invaluable time, and their expertise. They play a vital role in helping us deliver comfort and care to our RMH families. Toyota is the title sponsor for our upcoming SK Ball: Denim and Diamonds (Oct. 1) as well as our LIVE Call for the Kids Telethon on KHQ (Nov. 14).

Through their support, we are raffling off a 2021 Toyota Venza to one lucky winner. Tickets are available to purchase NOW ($20 per ticket) at one of our upcoming events, or you can call us and purchase a ticket over the phone at (509) 624-0500. The winner will be announced on Nov. 14 on air for our LIVE Call for the Kids Telethon. You can learn more about these upcoming events and more on our website: https://rmhcinlandnw.org/

TUNE IN LIVE TO KHQ ON NOVEMBER 14, 2021.

Join us for our live telethon on November 14, 2021 at 3 PM on KHQ.com or at 3:30 PM on SWX, the RMHC INW website, and on @rmhcinlandnw Facebook. Learn more: https://rmhcinlandnw.org/

Chris Amistoso Nina Bathurst Seanna Bodholt Dr. Luis Cantu Brady Cass Lynnelle Caudill Mark Conrath Michele Drake Melanie Finch Scott Gingras Nick Gonzales Hayley Guenthner Carol Hawkins Danielle Jackson June Ladd Tamara McGregor Doreen Mills Dr. Jeremy Nicolarsen Nick Pierre Barbara Ray* Mark Ray, Jr. Mima Scarpelli Brian Scott Kathie Vlahovich Kris Wedel Carol West* Sustaining Members*

1028 W 5th Avenue Spokane, WA 99204

THANK YOU to our amazing and generous donors for helping us keep families together.

We couldn’t do it without you!

Let’s be friends! @rmhcinlandnw

rmhcinlandnw.org