1. family and parenting

Spring 2015
handinhand
Onward and Upward
As I sit down to write this, the last
of my newsletter articles, many
emotions are running through my
mind. They run the gamut from
disbelief to utter joy, from angst to a
warm inner peace, from nervousness
to complete confidence. But I’ve
always believed that focus and
discipline are good, so I will try
and heed my own advice and just
concentrate on one — gratitude.
As I prepare to retire in July, I am
filled with gratitude for having had
the honor and privilege of sitting in
this wonderful position for the last
11 years. I don’t believe there is a
better “job” in the world and one
that I’ve truly enjoyed each and
every day. To be able to utilize one’s
efforts, working with a community
of colleagues, volunteers, board
members and donors, with the
united mission of helping others in
their hours of greatest need, has
been tremendously satisfying.
There is no greater reward than to
see the smile on a family’s face as
they walk into one of our five Ronald
McDonald Houses. To see the
expression of joy on a young adult’s
face who just been awarded a fouryear college scholarship to pursue
a college degree. To help a middle
school student pass their school
physical, thanks to our Care Mobile.
I am very grateful for many things:
For our board of directors and their
belief in our staff as we set ambitious
goals. I look back sometimes and
think we were half crazy to set our
goals so high. RMHC-CNI, along
with our hospital partners, forged
ahead and 153 families across eight
housing locations are better for it.
For our four board chairs over the
past 11 years — starting with Paul
Clark, then Mike Kotynek, then Paul
Huebener and currently Bill Budig.
The Board Chair is a demanding
position that consumes a great deal
of time and I feel so fortunate to have
had the honor to work alongside
these four gentlemen to move the
ball forward at RMHC-CNI.
For my colleagues and to the board
for running our charity the right way.
To have the Better Business Bureau
seal of approval and the highest
four star rating on Charity Navigator
means a great deal.
For the board’s leadership, under
the direction of Jon Zindel, for
professionally handling my desire to
retire. When I gave notice almost two
years ago, the board put in place
a national search that was careful
and deliberate in its approach. We
wanted to ensure that we had the
very best person in line to assume
the leadership helm of this great
charity. While we saw many fine
candidates from various locations
and fields, there were none better
than Holly Buckendahl, who currently
is the CEO of RMHC in Kansas City.
From that post for the last seven
years, Holly has built and funded
a brand new House (bringing their
total to three). She has continued to
innovate with her programs, including
a camp for children with cancer.
The Succession Committee loved
what she had done for families and,
perhaps more importantly, how she
had done it.
Please join the board in welcoming
Holly, her husband Kraig, and their
two daughters Zoe (12) and Ava (9)
to this charity. Holly is scheduled to
start on July 6th and I will depart
Our incoming CEO,
Holly Buckendahl
after a period of a couple
weeks of transition. Starting on
July 6th, Holly can be reached
at hbuckendahl@rmhccni.org
or 630.623.5307.
Retiring CEO,
Doug Porter
As for my plans, my wife Ann and I
have some extensive travel plans to
explore a lot of what has been on
hold as we settle into a more leisurely
lifestyle. While I don’t know what the
future holds, I do know that I want to
continue to experience many things
in this great country of ours. After a
period away, I hope that Holly will be
kind enough to let me come back
and do a little volunteering. I know
that when I do, Holly, the entire team
and board will have really reached
new heights!
I remain grateful to the RMHC-CNI
family who has supported me and
traveled by my side on this wonderful
journey! As I always like to say,
onward and upward!
1
Family Story
The Webster
Family
In November of 2013, Whitney
Webster was enjoying life as
a young three year old when
she unexpectedly fell off a
stool. After the fall and over the
course of the next day, Whitney
continued to complain of a
stomachache.
Parents Joey and Russ made
the decision to take Whitney
to the emergency room, where
tests revealed that she had
a ruptured kidney. She was
immediately transferred by
ambulance to Ann & Robert
H. Lurie Children’s Hospital. A
surgical team told the parents
that they suspected Whitney
had a Wilms' tumor, a rare
kidney cancer that primarily
affects children. Also known as
nephroblastoma, Wilms' tumor
is the most common cancer of
the kidneys in children.
On November 29, Whitney’s
right kidney and some
surrounding lymph nodes were
successfully removed. While
Whitney recovered from surgery,
the Websters were told about
the Ronald McDonald House.
“Since we were well over an
hour away from the hospital, the
Ronald McDonald House quickly
became a refuge, truly a
home away from home for
us,” Russ said.
On December 8,
Whitney started receiving
chemotherapy and
radiation. During Whitney’s
treatment, Joey and Russ
were incredibly grateful to
their parents who travelled
from far away to help the family
during the time of crisis.
Whitney’s grandparents (parents
of Russ and Joey) traveled
from their homes in Texas and
North Carolina respectively,
taking turns to take care of
Whitney’s sisters — Sage, 9
years old, and Reagan, five
months old. The grandparents
were committed to caring
for Sage and Reagan so the
parents could devote their time
to Whitney.
Friends and their church family
were also a critical support
for the Websters. People in
their church arranged meals,
playdates, and encouraged the
family in many ways. The family
also received support from
Joanna Stibgen Meyers, a home
health nurse whose own
daughter Paige lost her
battle with cancer.
“Together, family, friends,
nurses, and doctors helped
walk us through and hold
our family up through
Whitney’s journey with
cancer,” Joey said.
“In addition to the support
we received from family
and friends, we received
a tremendous amount
of support, love and
encouragement from the Ronald
McDonald House near Lurie
Children’s,” Joey said. “Families
staying at the Ronald McDonald
House all have one common
denominator — they are all
families in crisis,” she said.
Whitney and
Ronald McDonald
Whitney’s last treatment was
June 2014, when she was
determined to be cancer-free.
Our Hearts Remember
Patricia Adehipekun
Kaiden Alcaraz
Linsu Althaus
Olivia Aparicio
Hanan Atiq
Delmy Avalos
Elijah Beal
Mark Campos
Madelyn Cerpa
Nicholas Colon
Jermaine Cullum
2
Joseph Dahlgren
Claribeth DeLaCruz
Lourdes DeLaGarza
Aiden Delaney
Jamari Dixon
Nahima Correa-Flores
Jasmin Gutierrez
Jason Haynes
Iona Inglesby
Ahmed Iqbal
Hailey Johncock
Isabelle Jones
Casidy Kaci
Vasilios Kafkes
Ayaan Khan
Reed Matthew Maki
Sebastian Maggio
Jayden Martinez
Penelope Martinez
Eric McCabe
Makhi Morgan
Rebecca Mueller
Jaeden Peterson
Natalie Skyy Ray
Kyler Reddick
Nathaniel Robinson
Angel Ruiz
Hector Ruiz
Gabriela Sabatino
Dennisse Salazar
Ilse Sanchez
Jose Serratoe
Chloe Simmons
Keenan Dante Smith
Kira Spedale
Erdenezaan Sukhbaatar
Andi Swenson
Boris Tonov
Huda Uddin
Emily Wheeler
Sarah Wielgos
Landyn Yokel
Zoey Chase Ziolek
Expansion Efforts
Red Ribbon Days
Many dignitaries help to cut the ribbon,
with little Caleb Post and his parents
stealing the show
December and January were momentous
months for RMHC-CNI, as we expanded our
care to families of ill children, opening two
new programs, and increasing our capacity
by 13 bedrooms.
On December 10, 2014, a ribbon cutting
was held to open our new Ronald McDonald
Family Room in Comer Children’s Hospital.
Since 2006, RMHC-CNI has managed seven
“sleep rooms” near the Neonatal Intensive
Care Unit (NICU) for families of the most
critical patients. With the recent renovation of
the NICU waiting room, we now also manage
a large hospitality space, including a living
room, dining area, and laundry space. We
are now able to offer private sleep rooms
for families (now expanded to eight rooms),
and hospitality to all 65 NICU parents, with
a space to have a snack, talk with family, do
some laundry, or just take a break from the
stress of the hospital setting.
It is thanks to the great partnership with
University of Chicago Comer Children’s
Hospital that the idea for this expansion of
service grew, and it is also thanks to the vision
of another hospital partner, Central DuPage
Hospital (CDH), that we were able to open our
fifth Ronald McDonald House on
January 18, 2015.
Beginning in December 2014, volunteers from
across the western suburbs stepped up to
help us open our House, cleaning, making
beds, assembling furniture and much more.
By early January, we were ready to open our
doors, and the parties began! Many people
made this beautiful new House possible,
and we hosted gatherings for the Boards
from Central DuPage Hospital and
RMHC-CNI, major donors, hospital staff, and
the community, all who welcomed us with
open arms.
On January 18, 2015, on a cold and sunny
afternoon, we cut the ribbon on our newest
12-bedroom, 19,000 square foot home.
Over 200 people were in attendance. Ronald
McDonald welcomed us to his new House,
and Val Warner from Windy City Live joined
us as a special guest. We were humbled and
honored that the first family due to check into
our new House — the Posts — agreed to join
us to officially cut the ribbon.
Opening two programs in two months was
a challenge, but seeing the gratitude and
relief on the face of the Posts, and the many
families to check in since, it has all been
worthwhile. Thanks to the donors, volunteers,
staff and supporters, who made this program
growth possible.
Leadership from RMHC-CNI and
Comer Children’s Hospital cut
the ribbon on our newest Ronald
McDonald Family Room
handinhand
With a demonstrated need for a Ronald
McDonald House to provide housing for the
families who are travelling long distances
to receive care at CDH and a generous
pledge of $5 million from the Cadence Health
Foundation, our board of directors was
delighted to commit to expanding our impact
to Winfield. Groundbreaking took place in
March of 2014, and by Thanksgiving of that
year, thanks to the efforts of our dedicated
contractors and architects, the House was
built and turned over to RMHC-CNI staff to
furnish and operationalize.
3
Around the Charity
Join our Healing Hearts Society
RMHC-CNI is excited to announce the
formation of our annual giving society —
“Healing Hearts”.
To become a member, supporters are asked
to pledge an annual, fully tax-deductible
donation of $1,000 or more each year.
Members will receive a Healing Hearts Society
lapel pin, name recognition at major events
and in our annual report, and an appreciation
reception with our CEO in the fall.
Through the Society’s loyal and ongoing
support, RMHC-CNI can continue to build
upon the foundation that enables us to
offer more than 43,000 family nights of
togetherness, comfort and healing within
our five local Ronald McDonald Houses and
three Ronald McDonald Family Rooms in
Chicagoland.
rmhccni.org. If you are interested
in joining today, please log on to
RonaldHouseChicago.org/HealingHearts.
To learn more, please contact Christina
Thomas at 630.623.2309 or at Cthomas@
Food Checkout Day
It was an amazing day with Cook County Farm Bureau at the 15th Annual Food Checkout
Day! The day started off in downtown Chicago where Ryan Baker from CBS-2 Chicago,
Lou Canellis from Fox News Chicago and Jim Rose from ABC-7 Chicago competed in
a supermarket scavenger hunt at Jewel-Osco (Division & Clybourn), collecting food for
RMHC-CNI. It came down to only a couple of items, but Jim Rose came out on top.
Congratulationss to Jim, his team and everyone who made the day possible.
Together, Cook County Farm Bureau and Country Financial Agencies collected 11,113
pounds of food and raised $15,790 for us.
Big Mac Under Glass
Our 11th Annual Big Mac Under Glass presented a "Night Under the Big Top" on
Saturday, March 21. We welcomed over 800 guests and hosted special guest emcee
and comedian Pat McGann. Four-year-old Whitney Webster and her family, who spent
considerable time at the House near Lurie, addressed the crowd with gratitude. The
event raised over $540,000, which makes a huge impact on our ability to serve families.
Photo credit to Oren Amzaleg
Volunteers Jeff and Kent Coffland
McDonald’s employee Jeff Coffland was first introduced to RMHC-CNI through the
annual golf tournament hosted by McDonald’s IT department. During his tenure on the IT
Golf committee, Jeff introduced his three boys and his brother Kent to the charity.
As his boys grew older, Jeff had more free time to volunteer at other RMHC-CNI events. In 2011, Jeff
volunteered at his first McDonald’s All American Games, which has now become his favorite event.
“We volunteer so we can be a part of some great events while helping out this great cause,” Jeff said.
“We've been able to work with a lot of great people from the charity and get to know the people who
work and live at the Houses,” he said.
Save the Date
Chicago White Sox Mullet Night Presented by Great Clips,
June 19th
Hoops for the House, June 28th
Annual Golf Classic, July 15th
Oak Book Polo Family Day, benefiting RMHC-CNI, July 26th
Scholarship Winners Reception, July 30th
Annual Pulling for the House, August 1st
4
Carousel of Possible Dreams, August 15th
Annual Sporting Clays Tournament,
September 12-13th
Recycle with Ronald, September 26th
Bank of America Chicago Marathon, October 11th
2nd Annual Mac & Cheese Fest, October 24th
Near Lurie Children’s
Chicago Sports Teams Make an Impact at
Our House
The Lurie House has been very busy in 2015 with visits from the
country’s biggest sports teams.
Representatives from both the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago
Cubs participated in our “Meals from the Heart” program. White Sox
General Manager Rick Hahn, 1983 AL Rookie of the Year Ron Kittle
and Clark, the Cubs mascot, all showed off their culinary skills to feed
families while they take a break from the hospital.
The Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Blackhawks brought their passion
to the House in the midst of two
successful seasons. The Chicago
Blackhawks took their turn cooking for
our families bringing Coach Quenville,
Andrew Shaw, Patrick Kane and Bryan
Bickell to the House.
On March 17, the Chicago Bulls hosted
their annual “Bulls Night at the House”
creating a 2nd floor extravaganza
with Bulls players Aaron Brooks,
Pau Gasol, Tony Snell, the Luvabulls,
the Incredibulls and Benny the Bull.
Volunteer
We couldn’t be more grateful for the
commitment of these local sports teams
whose visits truly brighten the lives of
our families.
Red Shoe Society’s 15th
Annual Wine Social
Bethany Youth Group
We are excited to introduce Bethany
Youth Group as one of our phenomenal
new volunteer groups. Bethany Youth
Group is a team of enthusiastic teens and
young adults from Bethany Romanian
Church who have been coming monthly
to provide meals to our families. The
group is led by Naomi Stirbu, who has
been with the church and has led the
group for five years. Thank you to this
committed group for their ongoing
support and donations that help keep our
House a ‘home away from home’.
Boruch Lev
Boruch Lev — affectionately known
as “Mr. Lev” — moved to Chicago
in 2001 after landing an engineering
job in the area. Mr. Lev stayed at
the Ronald McDonald House near
Children’s Memorial when his son
was being cared for at the hospital.
Mr. Lev formed a special bond with
the House and found it supportive,
helpful and cozy.
Since that experience, Mr. Lev
has become a regular volunteer
at the Ronald McDonald House
near Lurie Children’s. He comes
once a month to host a sculpting
program with the children at the
House, helping them sculpt clay
figures, animals and other things
of interest. We are so fortunate to
have Mr. Lev share his gift with the
House and our families.
handinhand
On February 27, the Red Shoe Society
hosted their annual Wine Social,
raising over $40,000 for our House.
The event hosted 600 people at
Morgan Manufacturing for a night full
of fun and dancing. We want to thank
the Wine Social Planning Committee
for their tremendous leadership on
this event.
5
Near Central DuPage
The Gonzalez-Mendez Family
Committed supporters JC and Deborah
Gonzalez-Mendez rallied their extended
family while they visited from across the
globe. They came together, with personalized
shirts, to help put together our Play Room
before we opened. We thank the
Gonzalez-Mendez family, as well as hundreds
of volunteers, that shared their time with us
and helped get the House clean, organized
and ready for families. We could not have
done it without you.
Volunteer
Bulley & Andrews
No one knows our kitchen
better than this group. Dave
Linden, Tom Jungles and
Owen Biancardi from Bulley
& Andrews made sure we
got a well-built House — and
ahead of schedule! Less than a
week after the House opened,
they brought their families
to cook for our families. Our
construction team is second
to none!
Mary and Greg Swierk
Mary and Greg Swierk have always
been long-time RMHC supporters.
Mary has worked at the McDonald’s
Chicago Regional office for 20 years.
When the couple heard about our
new House opening not far from their
home, Mary and her husband Greg
jumped at the opportunity to help.
Mary and Greg helped set up
the House and spent many days
giving tours and showing everyone
our beautiful House. They love
volunteering and playing a part in
the lives of the families we serve.
They are a wonderful support to our
families and staff and we are thankful
for their dedication.
6
Arts and Crafts
Angelina and Selena have
participated in our many
“Memorable Moments” activities
organized by small volunteer
teams. They recently painted
flower pots, decorated minion
and fish cupcakes, and enjoyed
the many dogs that visited us
for pet therapy. These girls have
made the most of their time at
our Ronald House!
Near Comer
Sixth Annual “Herman Petty Memorial
Hoops for the House”
Our sixth Annual “Herman Petty Memorial Hoops for the
House” tournament was held last October and raised
nearly $20,000 for the House. Our thanks go out to all
the volunteers and committee members who work to
put this event on each year. We hope you’ll join us this
year on October 17, 2015! Please contact our House for
more information.
Kensington Cares
Volunteer
As part of our Kensington
Cares community service
initiative, Kensington
School and the
participating staff donated
nearly 400 new toys and
books for infants through
teens. Each was lovingly
wrapped in festive paper
and bows.
Elli Jacobson
Holiday Donations
Around the holidays we are very fortunate
to have many people help our House by
making monetary donations and donating
wish list items and toys for our Santa’s
Workshop. We are grateful to everyone
who is so kind and helps us out during
this time. Special thanks to the Klausing,
Paape, and Sitar families and to the
Flamini Foundation for their continuing
support. Pictured is the Quinn family,
who stopped by with some great toys.
Elli Jacobson has been volunteering
at the Ronald McDonald House near
Comer every Friday for about a year.
She is a third year Biology major at
the University of Chicago and comes
to us from Rochester, Minnesota.
Forest of Love
KATIE ATKINS
IN OUR HEARTS
MAULE AND SPITLER
FAMILIES
IN HONOR OF
BRADY J. JENSEN
OUR LITTLE HERO
IN MEMORY
OF GARY W. JENSEN
LOVING GRANDPA
LIVE AND LOVE
THE OTTO FAMILY
SARA AND EMILY
WITH GRATITUDE
TO BETTY LOU SMITH
FOR HER KINDNESS
AND GENEROSITY
IN MEMORY OF
DR. ARNOLD SWERDLOW
FRIEND OF JBN 2015
One of her favorite things about
volunteering is getting to know the
families, hearing their stories, and
finding out where they are from.
If you are ever here on a Friday
afternoon you will see Elli’s smiling
face as she busily runs around
restocking and refilling supplies!
handinhand
Growing up in Rochester, Elli was
quite familiar with the Ronald
McDonald House. She had often
visited the House with her family to
cook meals while she was growing
up. When she learned of the
volunteer opportunity at our House,
she was excited to jump right in.
7
Near Loyola
Loyola “In Bloom”
We are thrilled to be working with our friends at Bulley & Andrews and Antunovich
Associates as we embark on a major renovation to our 19-year-old ‘home away from
home.’ The renovation will include a welcoming entry experience, the addition of a
toy room for kids, and a fully updated kitchen. The work has been compressed to
a 12-week schedule in an attempt to minimize the disruption for our families. Work
will be completed in early June and we look forward to sharing our refreshed spaces
with families and volunteers. We are so grateful to everyone who has contributed
to make this amazing renovation possible. Find out more about Ronald McDonald
House near Loyola “In Bloom” at www.RonaldHouseChicago.org/inbloom/
Volunteer
Come Celebrate With Us
Mark your calendars for a birthday party at the
Ronald McDonald House near Loyola! On July 18,
2015, we will celebrate the House’s 20th birthday
with an afternoon of fun for the whole family. We
will welcome past families, community members,
volunteers and friends with food, music, kid’s games
and good cheer. Over 75,000 family nights of comfort
have been provided at the Ronald McDonald House
near Loyola and we can’t wait to rejoice together as
we look forward to another 20 years.
Shawn Blackwell
At the Ronald McDonald House near
Loyola, we couldn’t function without
our team of volunteers. Shawn
Blackwell has been coming to the
House for almost two years, helping
us with anything and everything.
Shawn has offered enormous support
to our “Beautiful Bedrooms” program,
handling any repairs necessary to get
the rooms ready for a family to
check in.
In addition to all the work Shawn
completes around the House, he
brings a positive energy and attitude
to the House that truly helps families.
He’s been known to reach out and run
errands for families to save them the
hassle of transportation.
When Shawn isn’t helping out at the
Ronald McDonald House, he also
volunteers his time at the Hines VA
facility and for the Volunteer Corps
of the Chicago White Sox. He also
makes time to travel, takes weekly
rides as part of a bicycle club, and
spends the rest of his time with his
wife and children. We are so grateful
to Shawn and all that he does for our
House and our families.
8
NuWave Brightens Our House
We are grateful for the support of our
new friends at NuWave, who made our
families their focus by providing new,
high efficiency lightbulbs throughout the
House. On a special Sunday morning,
over 550 long-lasting environmentally
friendly and beautifully bright bulbs were
donated and changed and our House is
all the brighter for it.
Pop Tabs for Kelli Joy O’Laughlin
We have been honored to be the focus of a community
coming together in memory of Kelli Joy O’Laughlin. Friends
and family have been passionately collecting pop tabs in
her name and in less than a year — just weeks away from
what would have been Kelli Joy’s 18th birthday — the
milestone of ONE MILLION tabs have been donated. This
major pop tab collection was one project taken on by the
founders of the Kelli Joy O’Laughlin Memorial Fund. The
group was established with the mission of giving young
people opportunities to develop their greatest potential
of friendship, kindness, leadership skills, confidence and
education. Thank you to all the organizers and donors for
their amazing commitment.
Near Advocate
Teen Advisory Board
Congratulations to our Teen Advisory
Board for another successful Rolling
with Ronald event! Thanks to their
hard work and dedication, they raised
over $10,200! Special thanks also
goes out to all of our great sponsors.
Volunteer
Sandy and Joe Bard
Sandy and Joe Bard joined our
volunteer roster in 2010 when they
both officially retired. Sandy and Joe
work their regular shift every other
Friday and also volunteer at the Family
Room at Edward Hospital.
Sandy loves working in the kitchen,
keeping it spotless and organized.
Sandy also draws on her customer
service skills at our Welcome Desk
and enjoys giving tours. “We’re so
fortunate,” Sandy says. “Helping
people makes you feel good, and
we’ve made good friends,” she added.
Joe loves the challenge of finding
a clever way to fix what’s broken.
He says his experience as a U.S.
Marine in Vietnam taught him the
importance of keeping equipment
in working order and to be
committed to the task at hand.
Save the Date!
Join us for our 5th Annual Vegas
Night, which will be held on
November 21, 2015 at a new
location — Bourbon Street.
This event is one of our most
successful fundraisers and we
hope to see you there.
Cook County Farm Bureau
Special thanks to the Cook County Farm
Bureau, the Oak Lawn Fire and Police
Departments, as well as all the schools who
participated in this year’s Food Check Out Day!
Thanks to all of their efforts, 11,113 pounds of
food were collected for our Houses!
Sandy and Joe were the first
recipients of the Lorraine
McCleverty award in 2013 at our
volunteer reception in recognition
of their endless hours of service to
our House and families. Thank you
Sandy and Joe!
handinhand
Joe is our House handyman. He
arrives, toolbox in hand, and seeks
out anything in need of repair, be it a
ceiling fan, a kitchen sink or a toy.
9
Edward Family Room
3rd Annual “Uncork Your Support” Wine Tasting
Over $45,000 was raised at our 3rd Annual “Uncork Your Support” Wine
Tasting. Thank you to our co-chairs Jessica Jozwiak and Lori Brady,
and to our committee: Beth DeGeeter, Janet Juarez, Linda Kolaya,
Sarah McGee, Carolyn Petrowich, Jim Petrowich, Beth Pojman, Sandy
Prohammer, Kelly Sheehy, Lisa Tonsager and Shauna Winters.
This year we welcomed Mary Kay Kleist of CBS-2 Chicago as emcee,
and hosted our first live auction alongside a silent auction and raffle. So
many companies and individuals came together to put on what was our
best event yet, and we count ourselves lucky to have so much support!
Puelo family
Volunteer
The Puelo family utilized the Family Room when their
twin boys were born premature. “When our twin boys
were born premature, we didn’t realize what was going
to be ahead of us. We knew the NICU was in our
future, but we hadn’t planned for the stress of leaving
our boys overnight,” Paul said. “The Ronald McDonald
Family Room helped fill this void in a way we did not
expect. We are grateful for the services, cheer and
compassion provided to us during the most stressful
and scary experience of our entire lives,” Sarah said.
Manheim Arena Illinois
Lisa and Aubrey Tonsager
Lisa and Aubrey Tonsager have been
volunteering with the Family Room for
almost a year.
Lisa, a Community Council Member,
helps plan events throughout the
year, including “Uncork Your Support”
and our volunteer luncheon. Twice a
week, Lisa makes sure a donation of
delicious cupcakes from Smallcakes:
A Cupcakery in Naperville gets
delivered right to our kitchen for
families to enjoy. Once a month, she
picks up the breakfast that Eggs,
Inc. donates to our “Meals from the
Heart” program.
Aubrey, a junior at Naperville North
High School, also helps pick up and
deliver the cupcakes after school
and all summer long. On weekends,
she provides tours to many local Girl
Scout Troops, helping them earn a
Ronald McDonald House
Charities badge.
10
Thanks to Manheim Arena Illinois, one of our newest
supporters! Since providing their first lunch for our
families in November, they have generously donated
over 12 meals and are committed to serving once a
month for the remainder of 2015. Manheim Arena has
also offered to fill in if we have any cancellations or
big needs. We are so grateful for their partnership and
continuing support.
Lexi
A heartfelt thanks to Edward Hospital patient and
Family Room visitor Lexi for donating 1/3 of her craft
fair proceeds to us! Lexi sold hair bows, reindeer soup
and more, raising $102.70 for the Family Room. “You
guys always help me out, so I thought I'd help you
out," Lexi said.
Pop It and Drop It
Miranda Juarez and Maggie O’Brien, two Naperville
High School students, have organized our first
community pop tab collection event. Please join
us and donate your pop tabs on Saturday, May
9 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the Edward Hospital
parking lot, at the corner of Osler and Brom Drive
in Naperville. Pop tabs and other recyclable metals
will be recycled to benefit our Family Room, with
a charitable match from recycling partner United
Scrap Metal.
RMHC-CNI Programs
Graduating
Scholarship
Winner
Brianna Winbush
Brianna Winbush received an
RMHC-CNI/AAFA scholarship in
2011 as a graduating high school
senior from St. Joseph High School
in Westchester, Illinois.
She immediately began her fouryear college career at the University
of Michigan where she began
studying psychology. While at the
University of Michigan, she was
a committed volunteer with ECO
Girls, whose mission is to foster
environmental awareness and
stewardship, ecological literacy,
cultural education, friendship
building, self-confidence, and
leadership skills for elementary
and middle school girls in the
southeastern Michigan cities of Ann
Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Detroit.
While at the university, Brianna
launched her own website
— thebossup.com — a site
committed to women that includes
daily celebrity gossip, fashion
trends, lifestyle tips and everyday
motivation. Brianna has also served
as a Resident Assistant for the past
two years, assisting freshmen with
a variety of issues as they transition
to college life.
Brianna credits the scholarship
with permitting her to have a
very special college experience.
“The scholarship award allowed
me to be a student and to find
myself,” Brianna said. “Without the
scholarship, it would have probably
been very hard for my parents to
find the funds to send me to the
University of Michigan,” she said.
After graduation, Brianna plans to
return to Chicago to work in the
social media and marketing field.
She will also become a member
of RMHC-CNI’s Education
Committee, the committee
responsible for reviewing
scholarship applications,
interviewing candidates and
awarding scholarships every year.
For more information on
RMHC-CNI’s Scholarship Program,
log on to RonaldHouseChicago.org.
Breaking Service Records in 2014
Our great medical partners from
Advocate Children’s Hospital visited
locations within close proximity to
their hospitals in Oak Lawn and
Park Ridge, targeting schools with
the highest poverty rate. Working
closely with the school nurses, the
Care Mobile staff provides children
with physicals, immunizations, and
well-care checks. Many times the
staff on the Care Mobile are the only
medical provider the children have
seen in years.
We are proud of the care and
compassion that the Care Mobile
provides these children, and thank
Advocate Children’s Hospital for
partnering with us in these efforts.
Dr. Lewis, medical provider on the RMCM from ACH Park Ridge
campus, elicits a smile from one of her patients at Sullivan School
handinhand
Thanks to expanded service
initiatives in 2014, the Ronald
McDonald Care Mobile provided
medical care to more children than
ever this past year, for the first time
surpassing 2,500 patient visits!
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Ronald McDonald House Charities®
of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana
1301 W. 22nd Street, Suite 905
Oak Brook, Illinois 60523
PAID
PALATINE, IL
PERMIT 1217
RonaldHouseChicago.org
Top Wish List Items
Across Our Charity
K-cup coffee (regular)
Napkins
Paper towels
Individual snacks and cereals
Heavy duty paper plates
7/13/33 gallon garbage bags
Gift cards to Costco, Jewel, Walmart,
Walgreens, Menards, Target, and Office Max
Contact your House/Program (below) for more information!
Help us go paperless! If you would like to receive the newsletter electronically please log on to RonaldHouseChicago.org/Stayintheloop.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Paul Huebener, Chairman Emeritus
Bill Budig, Chairman
Brian Salemo, Vice Chairman
MikeKotynek, Treasurer
John Shultz, Secretary
Rose Ann Anschuetz
Ryan Baker
Jeff Bayer
Jim Brady
Mark Butterly, M.D.
Lou Canellis
Jeff Cantalupo
Ryan Dardis
Tripp Davis
Carmen DeCarrier
Ray DeThorne
Mark Duffy
Joe Endress
Jim Floyd
MarkGiangreco
Deborah Gonzalez-Mendez
Lesley Prizant Goodman
Marion Gross
Mary Herrmann
Tara Kamradt
Nicholas Karavites
Jodi Keller-Wheeler
Cam Kennedy
Greg Koerner
Cliff Koroll
Mike Kregor
Dean Lane
Rob Lang
Dave Lewis
Frank Liberio
Derrick Lott
Rick McGrath
Lisa Newman
Jim Norberg
John O’Keefe
Kevin Ozan
Sandy Prohammer
Ram Reddy
Todd Schaefer
Michael Schamberger
Eric Schroeder
Bob Sheehah
Nancy Tallent
Michael Thompson
Jon Zindel
RMHC-CNI OFFICE
Doug Porter, Chief Executive Officer
1301 W. 22nd Street, Suite 905
Oak Brook, Illinois 60523
(630) 623-5300 office
(630) 623-5307 direct
(630) 623-0808 fax
RonaldHouseChicago.org
EDITOR:
Jill Sterling
Director of Public Affairs
Near Loyola University Medical Center
Lisa Mitchell, Vice President of Programs
and Services
Tripp Avenue at Air Mail Road
P. O. Box 7002
Hines, IL 60141
(708) 327-2273
(708) 327-6000 fax
RONALD McDONALD HOUSES:
Near Advocate Children’s Hospital
Anne Czarnecki, Senior House Director
4410 W. 93rd Street
Oak Lawn, IL 60453
(708) 423-5285
(708) 423-5658 fax
Near Central DuPage Hospital
Katie Allabough, House Director
0N150 Winfield Road
Winfield, IL 60190
(630) 517-8678
Help us update our information
Near Lurie Children’s
Mark Shouger, Managing Director
211 E. Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 888-2500
(312) 464-0689 fax
Near University of Chicago Comer
Children’s Hospital
Kelly Evans, Senior House Director
Mardelle Gundlach, House Director
5444 S. Drexel Avenue
Chicago, IL 60615
(773) 324-5437
(773) 493-2905 fax
RONALD McDONALD FAMILY ROOM
in Edward Hospital
Brittany Rhyne,
Senior Family Room Manager
801 S. Washington St.
Naperville, IL 60540
(630) 527-3800
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