- McDonald’s USA is celebrating the 50-year anniversary of its Ronald McDonald House Charity by encouraging consumers to give their own support to the organization and round up their purchases to the nearest dollar.
- As part of the initiative, the brand has partnered with NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace to unveil a new paint scheme on Wallace’s car featuring design elements from local RMHC families in South Florida (where the car made its debut) and a logo dedicated to the company’s year-long celebration of its namesake charity.
- RMHC provides families with places to stay when their children are in hospitals and pediatric care centers far away from their homes. According to the company, if every U.S. customer rounded up their order to the next whole dollar for one day, it would equate to 65,000 family nights at Ronald McDonald Houses.
The Ronald McDonald House Charities began in 1974 when a group of Philadelphia community leaders and McDonald’s franchisees came together and held a fundraiser (featuring the company’s mind-flavored Shamrock Shakes) to raise money for the first Ronald McDonald House. Since that fundraiser, the company and its customers have raised more than $1 billion for the charity that helps families impacted by health crises stay together.
The partnership with Bubba Wallace is part of a year-long celebration commemorating the charity’s 50th anniversary. Other elements include a $20 million corporate donation to the charity as part of an ongoing five-year, $100 million commitment and local initiatives such as restaurants in Missouri donating one penny for every pound of fries sold and Florida restaurants contributing 50 cents for every 40-piece McNugget and two-drink combo sold.
“Caring for our community is at the heart of who we are at McDonald’s. Our 50-year partnership with RMHC has enabled us to provide essential support to help families find strength and resilience during difficult times,” said Michael Gonda, chief impact officer, North America at McDonald’s, in a statement. We’re proud to continue the tradition of giving back for the next 50 years and beyond. We’re always listening to our customers and that’s why we are proud to provide an easy and economical way to turn pennies into meaningful impact for nearby families.”
