St. Louis

HOW IT ALL BEGAN:In 1973, Philadelphia Eagles football player Fred Hill and his wife, Fran, learned that their daughter, Kim, had leukemia. While seeking treatment at the children’s hospital in Philadelphia, they met families who had to drive hours to be with their children, only to sleep overnight in waiting room chairs and eat from vending machines because they had nowhere else to go.

Fred Hill and his football team decided to build these families a home-away-from-home in Philadelphia. They teamed up with local

McDonald’s Owner/Operators to raise money to purchase and restore a house near the hospital where families could stay, and the first Ronald McDonald House was born. Since that time, more than 350 Houses have been built worldwide.

The first Ronald McDonald House in St. Louis opened in July 1981 with seed money from local McDonald’s Owner/Operators and donations from corporations, organizations, individuals and foundations. Now there are three St. Louis-area Ronald McDonald Houses and four Ronald McDonald Family Rooms.

RMHC ST. LOUIS THROUGH THE YEARS

1996: PARK AVENUE HOUSE OPENS

2003: LONG-TERM APARTMENTS OPEN

2010: WEST COUNTY HOUSE OPENS

The first St. Louis Ronald McDonald House opened on July 10, 1981 as an eight-bedroom facility. In 1984, six bedrooms, a large kitchen and dining area were added. Then, in 1989, the building to the west was purchased, adding another six additional bedrooms, as well as a community space. A breezeway was built to connect the two Houses, bringing the total number of bedrooms to 20. In 2013, the West Pine House underwent a tremendous renovation, making it a more comfortable, energy-efficient space for families to call “home.”

On April 14, 1996, the second Ronald McDonald House in St. Louis opened on Park Avenue, primarily serving families whose children were being treated at

SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center. The Park Avenue House has 11 bedrooms, which brought the total number of rooms available to 31.

In 2003, eight long-term apartments were added next to the West Pine House. Prior to opening this building, RMHC St. Louis leased four apartments on Boyle Ave. to determine the need for families. These apartments provide all the basic housing needs for families of children whose treatment is ongoing, such as transplant recipients and cancer patients. The long-term apartments brought the total number of bedrooms available to 39.

On September 29, 2010, the third Ronald McDonald House in St. Louis - and the 300th in the world - opened on the campus of Mercy Children’s Hospital. This

20-bedroom House serves families whose children are being treated at medical facilities throughout the West County area. The addition of this House allows

RMHC St. Louis to provide affordable lodging to 59 families every night.

1981: WEST PINE RONALD HOUSE OPENS

2007: RONALD MCDONALD FAMILY ROOM OPENS AT ST. LOUIS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

2008: RONALD MCDONALD FAMILY ROOM OPENS AT SSM HEALTH CARDINAL GLENNON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

2018: RONALD MCDONALD FAMILY ROOM OPENS IN THE NEW TOWER AT ST. LOUIS CHILDREN’S

HOSPITAL

The first Ronald McDonald Family Room in St. Louis opened at Mercy Hospital - St. Louis in Creve Coeur (formerly St. John’s Mercy Children’s Hospital). In 2010, the Family Room relocated to the new pediatric tower at Mercy Children’s Hospital. Nearly twice the size of the previous area, this Family Room serves approximately 3,000 families every year.

Located on the 5th floor of St. Louis Children’s Hospital, the Ronald McDonald Family Room at St. Louis Children’s Hospital serves nearly 6,000

families every year. This space was renovated in Spring 2018 and now serves families with children in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Located on the 5th floor, the Ronald McDonald Family Room at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital serves nearly 4,000 families every year.

Located on the 3rd floor of the new St. Louis Children’s Hospital tower, the hospital’s second, more expansive Ronald McDonald Family Room allows

RMHC St. Louis to serve thousands of additional families every year.

2005: RONALD MCDONALD FAMILY ROOM OPENS AT MERCY HOSPITAL ST. LOUIS

RONALD MCDONALD FAMILY ROOMSAway from the hustle and bustle of hospital corridors, busy waiting rooms, the Ronald McDonald Family Room serves as an oasis within the hospital for both local and out-of-town families. Open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and staffed by more than 300 volunteers, our Ronald

McDonald Family Rooms are each equipped with a small kitchen area where families can grab a quick snack or a cup of coffee. Families also have access to showers and toiletries, laundry facilities, a computer station with Internet, comfortable seating, television and a quiet area.

Since 1981, Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis has expanded from an eight-bedroom facility to now include three Ronald McDonald Houses, eight long-term apartments and four

in-hospital Ronald McDonald Family Rooms.

This growth would not be possible without the generosity of the St. Louis community and beyond! For more information about our organization and how you can get involved, please visit www.rmhcstl.com.