Round-Up for RMHC at McDonald’s

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ROUND-UP FOR RMHC FAMILIES?

The McDonald’s Co-op of Metro St. Louis leads the nation in raising funds through the Round-Up program.

Across the St. Louis-region, McDonald’s customers are “rounding up” their orders to benefit our local Ronald McDonald Houses and Family Rooms. Launched in 2019, the Round-Up for RMHC program encourages McDonald’s customers to “round” their order total up to the next whole dollar. The money raised provides a “home-away-from-home” for families of seriously ill children receiving medical care at one of the children’s hospitals in the St. Louis region.

When the COVID-19 pandemic closed dining rooms, local McDonald’s owner/operators and managers were tasked with making their drivethrus as efficient as possible. One concern they faced was the risk that asking customers to round up could slow down the order process. Never one to shy away from a challenge, owner/ operator (and RMHC St. Louis Board Member) Joan Elhoffer set out to find a solution for her seven stores.

“We found out that we needed to reprogram the registers in a different fashion so that it would prompt for Round-Up in the drive-thru,” says Joan. “We were able to shave seven seconds off our drive-thru time. It became a win-win.”

Other owner/operators saw the opportunity and jumped on board, including RMHC St. Louis board members Nolan Ruiz and Chris Giarla.

“Round-Up has been a great way for our customers to support the local St. Louis chapter of RMHC during this challenging time. Our crew and managers have created a great connection with RMHC and the good work they do in the local community,” says Chris.

The Round-Up program’s positive force grew exponentially in 2020 as McDonald’s crewmembers began asking customers to donate their ‘change’ to Round-Up for RMHC in the drive-thru. The customers responded in a big way! By July, the co-op publically announced its 2020 goal to raise $1 million for RMHC St. Louis. The region’s leading store was in Troy, Missouri, owned by Joan and managed by Kendra Fraatz.

“The crew members compete with how many Round-Ups they can get during their shift,” says Kendra. “Everyone loves it.”

The high-performing Troy store continued to raise over $8,000 each month, totaling $90,000 alone throughout last year. Customers enjoy watching the new total tick upward with the sizeable electronic sign out front. The grand total for all stores in the St.Louis co-op in 2020 surpassed all expectations, raising more than $1.1 million in support for RMHC families!

What’s the “secret” ingredient? Passion.

“This is the best thing I have ever done in my career. I wake up in the morning, go right to the Round-Up numbers, and see what we have done. And it warms my heart that we have done something positive in a bigger way,” says Joan.

Joan began working at McDonald’s in Hazelwood and, by the age of 31, opened her first store as the youngest owner/operator in St. Louis at the time. She met her husband on the line at McDonald’s and is still friends with many of her coworkers from when she first started. Now, she and her team share best practices and results on how they are taking Round-Up to the next level with other owner/operators across the country. She focuses on highlighting the fun side of the program for crewmembers, like giving them RMHC t-shirts and pins as incentives, posting a family story wall in the restaurant’s lobby and placing a bell on the counter to ring every time someone rounds up their order.

McDonald’s is a founding partner of the Ronald McDonald House and continues to support The House that Love Built in a variety of ways. Each year, the McDonald’s Co-Op of Metro St. Louis sponsors the Annual Scramble for Golf Tournament. Crewmembers and customers also give back through the canister program and during the holiday season with special projects, like the “Angel Tree” at the Troy Store to collect wish list items for RMHC families.

“Since the efforts began over 42 years ago to start and then open a Ronald McDonald House in STL, the McDonald’s community has been an unbelievable partner,” says Dan Harbaugh. “The efforts for Round-Up only serve as another reinforcement of this incredible partnership, we are so grateful for their longtime friendship and support.” ■

2021 SPECIAL EVENTS

Mark your calendar and join us for one of our annual fundraising events!

17TH ANNUAL TAB TOP PANDEMONIUM

SATURDAY, MAY 1

Drop off the aluminum tab tops, keys and electronics you have been collecting for RMHC St. Louis all year! Weigh stations for tabs will be available courtesy of Didion Orf Recycling for you to see how your collection stacks up against the competition. Before you leave, be sure to grab a snack and check out the RMHC merchandise for sale! Visit www.rmhcstl.com/recycle for more information or to register (advance registration not required).

28TH ANNUAL SCRAMBLE FOR CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT

MONDAY, JUNE 7

LOCATION: The Country Club at The Legends Sponsored by McDonald’s, this event is perfect for anyone looking for a fun, affordable tournament supporting a great cause! Foursomes will compete for prizes in morning or afternoon rounds and test their luck at several par-3 games along the course. Each player will also receive a gift bag, lunch and refreshments on the course. For more information, visit www.rmhcstl.com/scramble.

Each year, proceeds from special events contribute more than $1 million toward the mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis. For more information about our fun-filled fundraisers, or to see how you can get involved, please visit us online at www.rmhcstl.com/events.

21ST ANNUAL KIDS & CLAYS TOURNAMENT

AUGUST 19 & 20

LOCATION: NILO Farms

Grab your team and enjoy an 84-target sporting clays tournament on either Thursday or Friday at NILO Farms in Illinois! The tournament, presented by ARCO Construction, will include breakfast, lunch, and beverages throughout the day, a gift for each participant, additional clays side games and an awards ceremony at the end of the event. For more information, visit www.rmhcstl.com/kidsandclays.

36TH ANNUAL RMH GOLF TOURNAMENT & DINNER

AUCTION ■ SEPTEMBER 26 & 27

LOCATION: Meadowbrook Country Club The annual Ronald McDonald House Golf Tournament is one of the premier golf events in St. Louis. This two-day affair begins on Sunday with a sit-down dinner accompanied by a silent and live auction. On Monday, the links become the place to be when threesomes vie for the firstplace prize while enjoying food, beverages, and a gift for each golfer. For more information, please visit www.rmhcstl.com/golf.