A worthwhile effort we can all support

Ronald McDonald House in Albany.

Seventy McDonald’s restaurants in the Capital Region are participating in the annual Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of the Capital Region Inc. fundraiser called “Help With All Your Heart Campaign.”

Several Berkshire County, MA, and Southern Vermont restaurants also are involved in the sale of $1 and $5 paper hearts on which customers can write their names and post inside each restaurant. All proceeds will be donated to the local RMHC chapter. The effort will run through February 15.

Last year's drive raised $150,200, and more than over $1.3 million has been raised since the program’s inception in 2000.

"The generosity that our customers show each and every year is truly inspiring, and the tireless efforts of our crew people to shine a light on this important charity is incredibly uplifting,” said Renee Reardon, a local McDonald’s owner/pperator and President of the McDonald’s Operators of the Capital District. “We are all unified in our efforts to aid the mission of RMHC, which has been our charity of choice for over 30 years.”

The local RMHC chapter supports the Ronald McDonald House of Albany, a 16-bedroom facility on South Lake Avenue near Albany Medical Center that provides free lodging for families of seriously ill children being treated at nearby hospitals.

Additional RMHC programs include the Ronald McDonald Family Room located in the Children’s Hospital at Albany Med, which provides patient families with have a comfortable place to rest within the hospital; the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, run in partnership with St. Peter’s Health Care Services and provides free comprehensive dental care to underserved, underinsured or uninsured children in the region, and a community partnership grant making program that supports local children’s charities which share RMHC’s vision and values.

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