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The big cheque! Ronald McDonald House fundraiser Jenae Ryan, left, and fundraising manager Lesley Fazakerley receive the $5000 cheque for Rotary Club of Otaki’s community service director Marilyn Stevens and president Allan Darragh, during a recent visit to Ronald McDonald House in Wellington. |
Otaki Rotarians visit to Ronald McDonald House and presentation of a $5000 cheque, proceeds of the 2010 Celebrity Debate, was an opportunity to hear about building project for a bigger House with dedicated Horowhenua Room. The Rotary Club hosted the Celebrity Debate last November with the proceeds earmarked for the Horowhenua Room, dedicated for
use by Otaki-Horowhenua families with very sick children in Wellington Hospital.
“Building starts in May,” fundraising manager, Lesley Fazakerley told the Rotarians, after
showing them around parts of the House. The present House, built in 1991 will be demolished and the new building will cover twice the land area of the current House. She spoke about the new $14 million Ronald McDonald House which will cater for 34 families – the present House
has room for only eight - within the four floors, there will be five lounges and quiet places, a computer suite and gym, communal kitchen and laundry, plenty of space and places for children to play. There will also be several one and two bedroom apartments. During the rebuilding programme the House will move 200 metres north and take up residence in a former boarding house. “We expect the building project to take about 18 months,” Ms Fazakerley said.
While families are staying in the House it costs them nothing, they look after the place “because they self regulate the care of the House” doing many of the day to day chores such as cleaning and the laundry facilities means they can do their own washing, but volunteers go in each day to cook the evening meal. “Most nights there are 20-35 people having dinner. It’s a very special place to be at dinner time,” she said. The current teen lounge – “children” are up to 21 years, is somewhere it’s OK to make a noise and some of the dad’s find it a “good
place” to hang out!
Although the Ronald McDonald Trust heads the organisation, it only provides a small operational grant each year, the present House costs $500,000 a year to keep the families
feed and cared for. The new House, being twice the size, will cost over $1 million a year to provide the much needed services, so fund raising is a major issue. Most staff “members” are volunteers and there is someone on duty 24 hours a day seven days a week. They do
receive funding from health boards, corporate bodies, the general public and other organisations to help with day to day costs.
Fundraising for the new House has been separate from the general fundraising needed and with today’s high building costs, organisations or individuals can sponsor $5000 for a square metre of the building or part there of.
There are three Ronald McDonald Houses in New Zealand – Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and all come under the Ronald McDonald Charities.
