McDonald’s customers have helped raise €25,000 in aid of the Ronald McDonald House Charities Qawra Learning Centre during the recent McHappy Day campaign. The funds were collected in Malta and Gozo’s nine McDonald’s restaurants during a week-long campaign and have now been donated to RMHC.
“Every year, our customers display incredible generosity throughout the McHappy Day campaign,” said Paul Dragan, Managing Director of Premier Restaurants Malta, the operator of McDonald’s in Malta. “McHappy Day is our largest annual fund-raiser, a happy occasion that allows our customers to engage more closely with RMHC, our favourite charity. We are grateful to our customers for supporting its sterling work with children and young people.”
Seven months after its official inauguration, the Ronald McDonald House Charities Learning Centre has been partnering with numerous charities and voluntary organisations, giving them access to its purpose-built premises from which to provide services and support to their own young clients and their families and carers.
RMHC has been working closely with ADHD Malta, the Autism Parents Association, Smiling with Jerome and bBrave, the anti-bullying charity, among many other children’s organisations. RMHC will this year be able to run more specialist programmes to support children suffering the effects of poverty, disability or learning difficulties, helping them obtain the core skills and competencies that are essential for their future quality of life. It is also working with the Counselling, Mental Health and Literacy Departments at the University of Malta, the Vodafone Foundation, Richmond Foundation, Inspire Foundation, Microsoft Malta and football nurseries.
“There is so much good work being carried out by many volunteers and organisations and RMHC is determined to support them as best it can to deliver a better and more effective service,” RMHC Chairman Martin Xuereb said. “RMHC’s learning centre and the programmes are open to everyone but focus on serving those living in the north of the island which is somewhat underserved and sometimes overlooked.”
McDonald’s makes a donation to RMHC from every Happy Meal sold. To donate directly to RMHC, customers may drop their change in the boxes at McDonald’s counters or go online at www.rmhc-malta.com.
RMHC Chairman Martin Xuereb and Premier Restaurants Malta Managing Director Paul Dragan
About Ronald McDonald House Charities
The Ronald McDonald House Charities Malta Chapter creates, funds and supports programmes to directly improve the health and wellbeing of children. RMHC Malta operates a purpose-built Learning Centre in Qawra to serve children challenged by poverty, disability and learning difficulties. On its own and in partnership with other organisations, RMHC Malta offers educational and therapeutic programmes to assist children and young people gain the core skills and competences necessary for adulthood.
RMHC Malta depends on corporate benefactors to fulfil its mission. The Learning Centre has been opened thanks to the generosity of Patrick Calleja Architects, BCE Serv, Schloffer, Elektra, Cutrico, Bridgepoint, Banju Boutique, Satariano, Key Contractors, Onepercent, Hal Mann Vella, Vodafone Malta Foundation, Grand Interiors, Vivendo, H&K, Franke, Deloitte, RSM, Bupa, Go, Signworld, C&H Bartoli, JP Advertising, Burmarrad Group, Malta International Airport, The Point Shopping Complex, Servizzi Malta, Bad Boy Cleaners and Green Skips. RMHC Malta is particularly grateful to McDonald’s customers in Malta for dropping their change in the RMHC boxes in restaurants around the islands.
The Ronald McDonald House Charities is an international non-profit network with a mission to keep families with sick children close to each other and to the care and resources they need (www.rmhc.org). McDonald’s has been the RMHC’s Mission Partner since the first Ronald McDonald House was built in Philadelphia in 1974. RMHC delivers programmes and services in more than 64 countries and regions and impacts the lives of more than 5.5 million children and their families around the world every year.