Do You Believe in Magic?

By Sean Murray, Membership Committee Chair of the Red Shoe Society, Group of Young Professionals

Sean (front, in Titleist hat) at the Red Shoe Society bowling event

Years ago, when I was a youngster, McDonald’s ran a commercial featuring Ronald McDonald and other characters with a catchy song I still remember to this day. The song begins with Ronald singing When you believe in magic, and I hope you do, you’ll always have a friend wearing big red shoes. I actually forgot about that song until 2011 when I visited the Columbus Ronald McDonald House for the very first time to volunteer with my team at work.

I was new to the Columbus area and looking for ways to volunteer and new friends to make. My group toured the House and did our volunteer work. I was touched by how much the staff and volunteers do for the families of seriously ill children. At the very end of my trip to the House, I was informed of a group of young professionals whose sole purpose was coming together to assist at the Ronald McDonald House. I asked for information and sent an email, which ended up being one of the best decisions I have made in my life!

Shortly thereafter, I was introduced to the most talented, dedicated and fun-loving group of people I have ever met, the Red Shoe Society. Everyone was welcoming and wanted to get to know me. I volunteered for one of the bigger fundraisers, Dig it For the House, and had an absolute blast. If there’s such a thing as “fun in the sun” in Columbus, Ohio, this event is definitely it! I met the tournament organizer, Bill, and through his energetic and positive leadership, the event had its most successful turnout (and topped that this year).  I met Tony, the president of the Red Shoe Society at the time, whose team made it a goal to raise the most funds for the event so they could enjoy the day in the “VIP” lounge. I met Jamie, whose tireless work and seemingly endless hours coordinating with the group during meetings and events really helps keep everything running smoothly.

Since then, I have helped plan membership events, volunteered with the Red Shoe Society to make breakfast for families at the Ronald McDonald House, as well as other fundraising events for the House. I have gotten together to hang out with group members as friends. I can think of no better way to spend my free time than with this group and helping the Columbus Ronald McDonald House. Everyone has so much fun and projects are undertaken with a love and passion for giving back that is difficult to describe.

These people, and the many others I have met over the past few years at Red Shoe Society events, are people I am honored to call my friends. Through hard work, determination, hours of planning, members of the Red Shoe Society truly do make magic happen for Ronald McDonald House and I am proud to call myself a member. If I wasn’t a believer in magic before I became involved with the Red Shoe Society, I am a believer now!

Thirty-One Gifts—Gifting RMHC in Many Ways

Thirty-One Gifts staff making meals at RMHC of Central Ohio

by Mackenzie Schuler

For many of us, getting Thirty-One Gifts products is something we look forward to whenever a new catalog comes out, looking at all of the new prints, and debating over which product we want to choose. For families staying at the Ronald McDonald House, having free time to pour over prints is not something they have the time for—they are focused on helping their child heal at one of our area hospitals. However, families staying at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House are being exposed to all of the wonderful ways Thirty-One Gifts is giving back to RMHC—their organization really is the gift that keeps on giving! I want to take a moment to highlight some of the great ways this organization is helping Ronald McDonald House Charities.

• Meals: On the 31^st of every month, some of the Thirty-One Gifts team (based in Columbus) comes into our House to make dinner for our families. Every time they come in, they bring totes filled with their delicious food and are decked out in their black Thirty-One Gifts aprons. Their staff always serves up love with every meal they create for our families.
• New Year’s Eve: When the Thirty-One Gifts crew comes to make dinner on New Year’s Eve, they bring the party with them! They help bring in a celebration, complete with noisemakers, hats, and balloons to ring in the new year! Their staff does an incredible job to bring in cheer for our families who are going through a difficult time.
• Welcome Bags: In 2013, Thirty-One Gifts became a partner with RMHC Global, which has been a wonderful and mutually beneficial relationship for both organizations. To kick off this fantastic partnership, Thirty-One Gifts committed to providing welcome bags in every Ronald McDonald House! Many families do not expect to come to the Ronald McDonald House, so the bag is filled with items they may need, like toiletries, so they have one less thing to worry about while their children are in the hospital.
• Thermal Totes: Another generous way Thirty-One Gifts is giving back to RMHC is by creating a beautiful red and white striped thermal tote, with $0.31 of every tote sold going back to Ronald McDonald House Charities.

By having the generosity of Thirty-One Gifts, we are able to continue on with our mission of serving families of seriously-ill children in central Ohio. They truly understand and empathize with what the families are going through, and go above and beyond the call of duty to help our families each and every day at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House. We are so grateful for all of the support Thirty-One Gifts provides to us here at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House. Their support is a gift that is unmatched!

New Year, New Changes

by Dee Anders

We all fell in love with the special patient stars in the 2013 Nationwide Children’s Hospital holiday commercial. All of those children wanted to be home for the holidays with their families. If you can’t be home for the holidays, the Columbus Ronald McDonald House is the next best place to be. The holidays are a magical time at the Ronald McDonald House, the outpouring of love and compassion is amazing. The House reminds you just how caring and good people are in this community.

Now, we look forward to an exciting 2014, a year of growth and change here at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House. We look forward to welcoming new volunteers, new staff members, new rooms, new homes, new families, and new friends. However, one thing that will not change is starting the year off with the Vote Matta Campaign! You can vote every day for the next 10 weeks. Coach Matta and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio are up for the challenge to defend their two-year reigning title, and we are hoping for a three-peat! So please take some time today to vote for Coach Matta and the Columbus Ronald McDonald House at VoteCoachMatta.com. Every vote matters, and helps keep families of seriously-ill children only footsteps away.