Heartbeats - Summer 2021

Heart

BEATS SUMMER 2021

Red Friday

returns to Springfield and we need your help!

The Kansas City Chiefs’ “Red Friday” is officially coming back to Springfield. This daylong celebration is designed to capture the excitement of the start of the NFL season by bringing the Chiefs, the Kansas City and Springfield communities and the entire Chiefs Kingdom to kick off the year. In addition to being a rallying point for Chiefs fans, Red Friday is a chance for the community to make a difference in the lives of local children and families at local Ronald McDonald Houses.

Volunteers are needed to wave 2021 Special Edition Kansas City Chiefs Red Friday Flags and help promote flag sales on Friday, September 10 at McDonald’s restaurants throughout the Ozarks.

Flags will be sold for $5 each at 60 McDonald’s locations in the Ozarks, and all local proceeds benefit Springfield’s two Ronald McDonald Houses.

Volunteers will receive a free Chiefs Red Friday flag and Chiefs hat!

Opportunities are still available in the following cities:

Missouri Locations Aurora Battlefield Branson Branson West Buffalo Camdenton Cassville Forsyth Hollister Houston Lebanon

Marshfield Monett Mountain Grove Mountain View Mt. Vernon Nixa Osage Beach Ozark Republic Rogersville Salem

Arkansas Locations Seymour Springfield St. Robert Strafford Thayer Waynesville West Plains Willard Willow Springs

Berryville Gassville Hardy Harrison Mountain Home

Contact Heather or Ashley for more information.

Heather.Hyde@RMHCozarks.org or 417-875-3501 Ashley.Varone@RMHCozarks.org or 417-820-0767

From The

Staff Birthdays April 6 Angie Patrick April 8 Trot Kinser April 12 April Carmichael April 14 Shawn Lowery April 18 Kenzie Voyles April 19 Jerrica Conrad April 20 Jack Osborn April 21 Lexi Beaman May 3 Brooklynn Anderson May 10 Erin Norris May 14 Dorothy Harlan May 15 Caitlyn Norris Randy Slocum May 17 Stephanie Bube May 20 Amber Price May 22 Bonnie Keller May 25 Terri Carr June 2 Trish Musick

Heart Beats is published monthly or bi-monthly for volunteers of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks and The Tooth Truck, Inc. ©2021 RMHC The following trademarks used herein are owned by McDonald’s Corporation and its affiliates and are used under license: Ronald McDonald House Charities, Ronald McDonald House Charities logo, Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, RMHC, Keeping Families Close.

The Tooth Truck name and logo are owned by The Tooth Truck, Inc.

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Heart of the House House Near Cox South Ann Adams Karis Agnew Brooklynn Anderson Andrew Bandelow Hannah Braden Nadean Burnett John Carr Terri Carr Nancy Clark Tammi Davis Kathy Dennis Lynelle Dock-Peck Cheryl Douglas Blake Dowdy Judy Duncan Angela Fairchild Clydene Freeman Amanda Fronzaglia Becky Gillham Shawn Gott Ashley Grady Amy Grubaugh

Dorothy Harlan Laura Harrelson Aston Heinrichs Kaya Heinrichs Olivia Heinrichs Corine Isenhower Lisa James Laura Johnson Raegan Johnston Clayton Keller Levi Kemp Caleb Kerr Becky Lang Dustin Long Peyton Long Shawn Lowery Evan Mason Eileen Meinsen Larry Meinsen Sandy Morris Roberta Osborn Karla Peck

LeRoy Peck Gretta Phillips Lerris Pierce Aidan Plank Kay Prost Beka Razor Rebecca Reser Abigail Richardson Cliff Ricketts Jan Ricketts Brenda Rosebrough Robin Rueter Timothy Schmelz Anne Schubert Debbie Slocum Randy Slocum T.J. Slocum Mary Smith Gail Sours Grace Stagner Kim Stagner Keith Steenbergen

Pamela Stout Kaden Sumter Ava Uzzell Sondra Uzzell Tristen Uzzell Janet VanGorkom Abigail Weitzel Lucy Weitzel Joanna Weitzel Scott Weitzel Travis Weitzel James Winstead Ryan Winstead Kelly Wirtz Meghan Zengel Sydney Zupan

House At Mercy Kids Anna Berry Stephanie Bube Katherine Bunch April Carmichael David Carmichael Katy Chambers Jerrica Conrad Jennie Crabbe Glory Ehie Sandy Emberton Alexis Gaono Terry Greer Ann Griesemer Shirley Hall

Renae Harrison Brenda Havens Kylee Heishman Thomas Heye Jenni Jacka Leah Jackson Trot Kinser Ami Le Hannah Le Brady Marshall Kathy Marshall Kassie Medina Madison Mickan Jianna Mills

Kiera Mills Krista Mills Rebekah Mitts Marel Morris Jordan Newman Erin Norris Caitlyn Norris Ellie Norris Tracie Nicholson Kate Okland Olivia Parks Jamie Phariss Payton Polino Cathy Sanchez

Linda Schultz Maricielo SchwartzLeon Lauren Stockam Breanna Sundet Kayla Swearengin Madeline Urhahn Will Vance Kenzie Voyles Hanna Wilken Judy Zorn

RMHC Staff President & CEO Bonnie Keller

RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE NEAR COX SOUTH

RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE AT MERCY KIDS

Vice President Debbie Kinser

Program Manager Laura Winstead

Program Manager Larry Chainey

Tooth Truck Program Director Mindy Muñoz

Associate Program Manager Heather Hyde

Associate Program Manager Ashley Varone

Project Manager Amber Price

Program Assistant Brenda Rosebrough

Development Assistant Kim Booth

Family Care Managers Karis Agnew Laura Benowitz Alyssa Fonseca Emily Taylor Melanie Ward

Development Coordinator Katie Serangeli

Family Care Managers Sean Conrad Jacob Golden Savannah Keller Jack Osborn

Volunteer Appreciation Ice Cream Social On Thursday, June 10th, Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks and the Tooth Truck Inc. were so excited to celebrate our volunteers with an Ice Cream Social.

The evening was filled with enjoying delicious novelty ice creams as well as shaved ice from the Kona Truck while catching up with volunteers in a safe way. It warmed our hearts getting to see each volunteer, as well as the board members who joined us. Thank you for coming out and we hope to see you soon!

Dinner Groups!

RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE NEAR COX SOUTH Allstate – Hall Insurance Professionals Carr Family Cerner Si3 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints – Chesterfield Circle 7 at Campbell United Methodist Church CNH Reman Covey Family Cox Pediatrics Downtown Rotary Dru Hall and Friends

Feldman Family Fordland Church of Christ Fremont Elementary Hamilton Family Hope Toms Jenna Engler Just Friends Knights of Columbus – Ozark Kyra George LeAnn Pyatt Little Caesars Pizza Oak Grove Assembly Parkcrest Baptist

Stepan Yosup Team Janet The Girlfriends Union Hill Church of Christ Walmart Neighborhood Market Weitzel Family Zaxby’s

OPEN DINNER DATES:

Aug: 17, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31 Sept: 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30

RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE AT MERCY KIDS Jordan Heinz State Farm Becca Tennison DRG Validation (Tammy Crow) Sanchez Family The Eckels Family Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Chesterfield Ward Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Union Hill Church of Christ Youth

Houlihan’s East Sunshine Church of Christ Arvest Bank Kinser Family MSU PT Students Little Caesars Turning Point Church The Golden’s Covey Family

OPEN DINNER DATES:

Birthdays (continued)

June 17 Melinda Fielder June 18 Ryan Blumenstock June 21 Hannah Le June 30 Brenda Havens July 5 Ellie Norris July 6 Brian Asberry Mindy Munoz July 8 Ashley Grady July 10 Tracie Nicholson July 12 David Carmichael Rebekah Mitts Jim Winstead July 15 Madeline Urhahn July 18 Kiera Mills July 21 Renae Harrison July 24 Hannah Braden July 25 Ryan Winstead July 27 Shane Cowger Kayla Swearengin July 30 Sean Conrad Kate Okland August 2 Peyton Long August 3 Ashley Varone August 13 Sondra Uzzell August 14 Kathy Dennis August 15 Blake Dowdy August 21 Pam Stout August 25 Olivia Heinrichs August 26 Brad Risby

Aug: 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31 Sept: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

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Volunteers!

We Miss Our

COVID-19 has brought so many changes to all of our lives. One of the most difficult has been not seeing our volunteers and Family Dinner Groups. We think about you every day!

We were so hopeful you could return as things started to improve, but the delta variant has certainly changed everything. We hope you all are safe and well.

We continue to do our best to help our patients and families with your examples in mind!

“Volunteers are love in motion!” – Author Unknown

Sertoma Grin Iron Classic For the second year, the 20th Annual Sertoma GRIN IRON CLASSIC, Southwest Missouri’s All-Star High School Football Game, was unable to be held due to COVID-19.

Originally slated for Friday, June 4th at Parkview High School’s JFK Stadium, the event benefits the Tooth Truck, a mobile dental clinic for at-risk children serving the Springfield area for nearly 19 years. Nearly 100 local high school athletes from Southwest Missouri were selected by the SW MO High School Football Coaches Association for this East vs West AllStar competition, hosted by the All-Star Smiles Sertoma Club.

and show at rmhcozarks.org/ events/grin-ironclassic/ Several event sponsors and contributors have ensured their financial support of the Tooth Truck, despite the event being canceled, including presenting sponsor the Heart of the Ozarks Sertoma Club, and leadership sponsor the Greater Springfield Dental Society; and all are recognized in the event program. We encourage you to take a look!

These accomplished football players were recognized through an online version of the event program and the MC22 “From the Studio” Show, hosted

by Corey Riggs. Check out the program

All-Star Smiles Sertoma Club

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With the completion of the 20th Annual Sertoma Grin Iron Classic, the All-Star Smiles Sertoma Club made the decision to fold its efforts for the Tooth Truck into the mission of the Heart of the Ozarks Sertoma (HOTO) Club. It’s been a great 20 years working with these amazing members and we are thrilled to learn the Sertoma GIC

team will continue working with us as members of the HOTO Club — a copresenting sponsor of the GIC since 2010 and founder of the Sertoma Grin Iron Classic. Special thanks go out to Tom Hoerschgen, Don Wheeler, Bill Williams, Linda Faucett, Dr. Mark Massey, Dr. Tom Stone, Dr. Jody Vance, and Sheryl White.

Around the Houses

Monthly Statistics 2021

House Near Cox South STATS Families Served...............15

Tempur Sealy Donation Tempur Sealy International, Inc. has been one of Ronald McDonald House Charities’ global donors since 2009. Over the past twelve years, they have remained committed to our organization by providing families staying at the Ronald McDonald House with a comfortable night’s rest by donating mattresses, bed frames, foundations, and mattress protectors to various Ronald McDonald House chapters in the United States and Latin America.

This past spring, the two Ronald McDonald Houses in Springfield received a substantial donation from Tempur Sealy. The House near Cox South received five Tempur-Pedic mattresses as well as five mattress protectors. The House at Mercy Kids received three Tempur-Pedic mattresses, three mattress protectors, one mattress foundation and four new bed frames. Through Tempur Sealy’s generous donations, we are assured that families staying in our Houses are provided with a comfortable bed to get some much-needed rest. Thanks, Tempur Sealy!

Mission Moment The Clymer Family used the House near Cox South from January through March of this year after their twins, Nolan and Rowan, were born prematurely and faced a nearly 45-day NICU stay.

Six months later when they found themselves in Springfield, they stopped by the Cox House to say hello! They were so proud to show off how well the boys were doing and their milestones with us.

We love being a part of their story and were so happy to see them!

Nights.....................................95 Families from Missouri................................. 11 Families from Other States.........................4 Year to Date..................... 88 Program to Date.... 11,065

House At Mercy Kids STATS Families Served.............. 22 Nights.................................. 216 Families from Missouri................................ 19 Families from Other States.........................3 Year to Date....................101 Program to Date..... 3,443

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WISH LIST

Staff Stuff The House near Cox South is pleased

House at Mercy Kids HE Laundry detergent Swiffer liquid Coffee filters Coffee & tea Magic Erasers Labels for food Drink mixes Hygiene products Gallon-size Ziploc bags Laundry baskets Aluminum foil Travel-Size Toothpaste Fabric Softener

to welcome two new Family Care Managers: Laura Benowitz and Alyssa Fonseca.

Laura is a student at Missouri State University

studying for a degree in Interior Design. Although she has not lived in Springfield long, she says she already loves it. “I am thankful to be a part of an organization that gives back to the community in the times it needs it most.”

Alyssa just graduated from Republic High School

House near Cox South 8-gallon trash bags Individually wrapped breakfast items White queen deep pocket sheets (fitted and flat) White standard-size pillowcases White bath & hand towels White wash cloths Detergent Stamps 8 1/2 x 11 Paper K-cups Large Tupperware containers White Bath Mats

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and will be attending Missouri State University in the fall. She plans to major in Cellular and Molecular Biology and to attend Medical School in the future to become a surgeon. In her words, “I am excited to work at RMH because it is like a family. I am grateful to get to be part of such a wonderful organization and part of the team.”

We also could not be more thankful to two familiar faces: Karis Agnew and Melanie Ward Karis and Melanie both have a long history with the organization, and because of their love of the mission, have committed to returning as Family Care Managers for a weekend shift in addition to their full-time employment. We are so thankful to have their experience and compassion back to work for our families!

While the Cox House is so thankful to have such a strong Family Care Manager team in place, we are going to miss those who have recently left: Emily Miesner, Mackenzie Meyers, Rebekkah Wall, and Lexi Beaman. Each of these employees have made an impact on our mission throughout their time here and we wish them all the best as they begin their respective careers. Heartfelt thanks to each of you!

The Ronald McDonald House at Mercy Kids welcomes Ashley Varone as our

WISH LIST

Associate Program Manager and Sean Conrad to our Family Care Managers team.

We are pleased to welcome Ashley Varone to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks family. Ashley is a recent graduate of Southern Illinois University where she earned her degree in Applied Communication with a focus in Public Relations. For her senior project at Southern Illinois, she helped lead a social media fundraising campaign for RMHC of St Louis. This experience has already served her well within her new role with us. We have been impressed with Ashley’s experience and heart to serve since her first interview and she has proven to be an excellent fit for our team here at the Mercy House. Ashley started her role as our APM during the first week of July. Welcome to the family, Ashley!

Sean graduated from College of the Ozarks in 2012,

earning a degree in Criminal Justice. He is married and has two sons, ages 7 and 5. Sean and his wife’s oldest son was born at Mercy Hospital staying one week in the NICU after birth. While their son was receiving care in the unit, Sean and his wife stayed in the House at Mercy Kids. Sean enjoys hunting, playing with his two sons and participating in Tough Mudder competitions, which are 12-mile obstacle courses.

Sean joined our organization this past April and has been a wonderful addition to our team at the House at Mercy Kids.

Happy Wheels Small bottles of lotion Mini hand sanitizers Activity books (crossword puzzles, Sudoku, word finder) Small packs of crayons for the activity books Travel manicure sets Chapstick Individual packs of Kleenex Individually packaged snacks (Goldfish, granola bars, Teddy Grahams, gum, mints, Lifesavers, etc.)

12-ounce water bottles

The Ronald McDonald House at Mercy Kids says farewell to two strong members of our team: Lacey McKeever and Madison Mickan.

Lacey resigned her position as the Associate Program Manager at the Ronald McDonald House at Mercy Kids during the first week of July. Lacey made the decision to leave the organization in order to focus her time pursuing a degree in graphic design. Lacey served the organization for three years prior to her resignation.

The House at Mercy Kids will also miss Madison Mickan who has recently left our team to focus her time on pursuing a degree and career in nursing. Madison was a hard worker and dedicated to delivering the mission of our organization during her time on our team.

We wish Lacey and Madison all the best in their future endeavors. They will both be missed!

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Heart Tooth Talk of the Truck A Trip Out of Town Britt Bartels Stephanie Daniels Kathy Evans Angela Fairchild Melinda Fielder Katlyn Frazier Shawn Gott Sarah Jobe Anya Jones Kenny Kleiman Susan Lemmon Connie McCarter Blaine Weiss Chloe Williams Pamela York Jessica Zengel

The Tooth Truck travels to many different communities to connect with kids in need of access to dental care. Being mobile allows us to travel near (or far) to extend our reach to new school districts. This past spring, we took the Tooth Truck farther than we have ever traveled to devote our attention to students in West Plains. There was a lot of planning and preparation ahead of hitting the road but, soon enough we were on our way!

The community of West Plains immediately welcomed the Tooth Truck staff with open arms. They were so excited to have us on-site and continuously asked how they could support our efforts. Teachers and administrators stopped us in the hallways to share a story about a child we positively impacted or simply to say thank you. School secretaries and counselors helped us locate children (which periodically included driving them down to their appointment on a golf cart). Amy Ross, Director of Special Services, spoiled our staff with weekly food and treats from local restaurants. Local McDonald’s owner/operator Andi Hilburn-Vaini donated hundreds of toys and McDonald’s coupons for every patient to receive.

The local federally qualified health center worked closely with Tooth Truck staff to ensure any dental needs beyond our capability would be addressed. It was amazing to see how it all came together so we could ensure each child received quality dental care.

(Continues on page 9)

STAFF

PRESIDENT & CEO Bonnie Keller PROGRAM DIRECTORRONALD MCDONALD CARE MOBILE Mindy Muñoz GENERAL DENTIST Dr. Sarah Cimino COMMUNITY DENTISTS Dr. Raymond Burton Dr. Aaron Dannegger Dr. Brett Durbin Dr. Misty Shelton DENTAL ASSISTANT Megan Sanders OFFICE MANAGER Kristin Turner

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Golf Cart: School staff helped transport patients to their appointments by driving them down in a golf cart.

K Kids: Visiting the Tooth Truck is even more fun when a classmate joins you.

These two cuties got their teeth cleaned at the same time.

A Trip Out of Town (continued from page 8) Since the Tooth Truck commits to completing each child’s treatment plan, we didn’t know how long we would be operating in West Plains. We ended up devoting ten weeks in West Plains, serving 273 students with 462 appointments with treatment valued at $333,156. Our staff members were truly amazing about adjusting their work schedules to allow us to maximize our time treating patients given the added drive time each day.

We finished our time in West Plains having met a lot of great patients and knowing we made a positive impact on their lives. This partnership will continue to flourish in the years to come as we help meet the dental needs of children in West Plains!

The Tooth Truck treated 273 students during its ten-week stay in West Plains.

Ronald McDonald Care Mobile of the Ozarks June 2021 Children Treated:..............136 Dental Appointments Provided:..................................182 Year to Date Dental Appointments:................. 1,165 Program to Date Dental Appointments:............. 61,082 Program to Date Value of Treatment:........ $19.3 million Children Who Received Treatment: Bissett Elementary Great Circle

Congratulations and Best Wishes!

Jeffries Elementary Watkins Elementary Weaver Elementary Weller Elementary

Our staff wants to send a huge congratulations to dental assistant Gracie and her fiancé Trayson on the start of their marriage! They were wed on July 31st and will be relocating to Kentucky as Trayson continues his studies. Gracie will be dearly missed as a part of our team but we are excited for the new adventures that await them.

Tooth Truck Wish List

Action figures Matchbox cars Hair accessories (clips, headbands) Chapstick Clorox Wipes Dixie Cups Handheld games

Jewelry (necklaces, bracelets) DVDs for older children Outdoor toys (bubbles, sidewalk chalk, Frisbees, sports balls) Walmart gift cards Beanie Babies

Welcome Kristin We are excited to welcome Kristin Turner to our team as Office Manager. Kristin has a wealth of previous experience including working at a hospital, university, and a local dental office before joining our team. In her free time Kristin enjoys reading, crafting, and being outdoors. She also loves to cook a new recipe or bake a sweet treat to share. Kristin looks forward to working alongside our team to improve the oral hygiene of children in our community. Welcome, Kristin!

Birthdays April 1

Dr. Aaron Dannegger May 2 Dr. Brett Durbin June 25 Marita Pemberton July 3 Megan Sanders July 6 Mindy Muñoz July 10 Dr. Sarah Cimino July 11 Shawn Gott July 26 Jessica Zengel August 21 Susan Lemmon

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Heart Beats

949 E. Primrose Street Springfield, Missouri 65807-5257

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

We are thrilled to announce huge success for the 2021 Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper (PCCC) Korn Ferry tournament! Through the amazing support shown by our donors this year, the Ronald McDonald House sold out of our PCCC TLC Properties Charities Sweepstakes Tickets, resulting in over $20,000 for our charity!

We are excited to continue our efforts with a new program! For the first time ever, the PCCC presented

by Dr Pepper has established a second Sweepstakes.

Rick’s Automotive Charity Raffle, fondly known as Rick’s Raffle, continues through October 5 (or while supplies last) and provides another chance to win while supporting Springfield’s two Ronald McDonald House programs!

Rick’s Raffle prizes include a John Deere Gator, a John Deere Riding Mower, hotel accommodations for a trip to Mexico or a trip to Hawaii! Contributors also have the chance to win one of 100 Gift Certificates to Rick’s

Automotive, and every ticket purchase gives you a four-day grounds pass for the 2022 tournament.

One-hundred-percent of your purchase will benefit the children and families of our two Ronald McDonald Houses if you designate the Houses as your preferred charity. We hope you’ll consider helping our children and families by purchasing one or more tickets for only $20 each. See the flyer within this newsletter for more details – and be sure to spread the word!