14 people,224 hours, Brats, Cookies, Sewing, and a little bit of fun!

Last Friday we had some special visitors at the Ronald McDonald House. The excitement of being able to finish this big project was evident in the faces of the Girl Scouts in Troop 30536 as they put the finishing touches on one of our guest rooms at the Ronald McDonald House.

By selling brats in the summer of 2010 and girl scout cookies this year, Girl Scout Troop 30536 with leaders Val Tomhave, Jennifer Kruze, and Dr. Margo Norton put a fresh face on room 312 at the south location of the Ronald McDonald House.

Their goal was to help make the room look nice. The girls worked very hard on this project. They had to pick a project, plan it, set up a budget, shop for supplies, sew new pillows, paint, and garner donations. Besides putting on a fresh coat of paint, the troop put in new carpet, a new daybed, new curtains, new comforter & blankets. They also added a really neat touch to the room by putting their handprints on a piece of canvas to adorn the wall.

With the room’s new look I am 100% positive that they reached their goal, and they have helped provide a beautifully decorated source of comfort to our guests.

At the Ronald McDonald House we strive to offer a therapeutic break from the hectic days that our families are living through. We are always looking for ideas of how we can give our guests a creative outlet, a time to chat, or a time to laugh.

Kim Burd, who many around the House think should have her own show on the Food Network, gives of her time every couple weeks to bring a sense of family during meal time. Kim has been volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House for some time.  In early 2011, Kim began coming to the House and hosting Kim’s Kitchen. Kim teaches family members how to cook simple, healthy, and unique options. Many family members take time out of their day to visit with Kim and learn fun techniques like how to properly cut garlic. Family members also really enjoy sampling the delicious palate that she prepares.

Stampin’ Up regional supervisor Deseree Krumm helps family members make something they are proud of and a fun way to stay in contact with their friends and families still at home. Deseree and the Krumm Kakes stop by the House several times monthly for card making. Deseree brings all her own stamps and supplies to teach family members how to make homemade cards. House guests have mentioned that card making has been, “Fun and therapeutic…just what I needed.”

Chris and Tammey Brown have been donating their time and talents every week! Every Thursday Chef Chris, as he has so lovingly become known as, makes a meal for the families. Chris offers delicious meals that give families a little taste of good home style cooking when they don’t have the time to make it themselves. Tammey boxes up her scrapbooking supplies and offers a sense of community every Saturday morning through scrapbooking. Tammey has even offered her “Intro to Scrapbooking” manual to get family members started. Sharing scrapbook pages and working with their hands has been giving family members a sense of hope.

These are just a few of the opportunities we offer to create a home away from home. Offering your skills and talents is a great way to get involved at the Ronald McDonald House.

As I sat at my desk last Friday I began to smell the most delicious meal being made in the kitchen below me.

The Ronald McDonald House has a fully stocked kitchen that all families are able to use. We love having volunteers come in and make meals, too! Each family has access to a refrigerator that they share with one other family–so if they go to the grocery store they can just put it in there.

A lot of times I love the aroma and how it truly makes it feel like a home away from home. This time, I not only LOVED the smell, it was making my stomach growl like no other. Around 1:00pm on a Friday, you can imagine how I was just craving that home cooked meal that I could smell being carefully prepared in the kitchen right below me.

To my surprise, a gentleman all of a sudden peaked around the corner to my office and asked if I could join them in a Good Friday meal. Of course, I could not pass this up!

As I walked downstairs, I noticed that the gentleman (a guest staying at the Ronald McDonald House) was asking everybody at the house, other guests, staff, volunteers, whoever he saw to all join him for a meal. A group of us gathered around the delicious tilapia, tuna balls, rice, and veggie salad and had a feast. As we visited around the table, we found out that every Easter this man and his family returned to Mexico to visit family and had a traditional Good Friday meal. This was a very scaled down version of the meal.

It was so interesting to talk to them and hear all about their traditions revolving around Good Friday. The only Easter tradition I have to playing trumpet at church and eating ham!

Although they could not return to Mexico this year because of their child’s condition, they were very thankful to have a kitchen to be able to prepare at least a portion of this meal, and they were thankful for having other people to share this tradition with!

Fargo residents are encouraged to lend their time and support the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of the Red River Valley in honor of National Volunteer Month. By volunteering even just a few hours a month, it gives families one of the biggest gifts of all – more time together while their children are being treated for serious illnesses.

“Our volunteers make RMHC possible,” said Jill Christopher, Executive Director. “This April, we not only want to thank them for their efforts, but encourage others to donate their time and show them how easy it is to join our team of volunteers.”

In Fargo, volunteers bake and prepare meals, assist with mailings, light housekeeping, decorating, special events, programming, and more. Our volunteers help our families feel cared for and supported through their kind acts and compassionate hearts.

Volunteer Month marks the introduction of the RMHC “30 Ways in 30 Days” Campaign which encourages people to give back to their communities through daily inspiration and volunteer tips.

We have some stellar volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House! We want to extend a huge thank you to them and encourage others to stop by, take a tour of our facility, and ask how you can help out!

Sig Meier’s compassion is legendary. Sig is one of a select few heart warmer volunteers, whose presence brings a sense of calm and peace to our families’ days. Her kindness and gentle spirit makes her approachable and families are encouraged by her warmth.

Sig helps provide a sense of community by visiting with families. Whether it’s helping them frost cookies, or preparing day brightener gift packages and notes for them, Sig always seems to innately know just what to share.

Sig started volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House in March of 2005 and has been volunteering weekly ever since. Sig volunteers at RMHC because she, “believes in its  purpose of helping families who are dealing with children in treatment in one of our medical facilities.” 

Sig enjoys being a part of the RMHC mission and believes in the support that the house shares. “The house not only helps families financially with a place to stay but also emotionally because of the care and concern shown to them.”

Sig has volunteered over 700 hours of her time to RMHC in Fargo. Her experience in working with diverse populations and situations is a tremendous gift to our families and our organization.

Have you volunteered lately? I challenge you to look at volunteer options in your community today!

The Hill family’s struggle to remain close to their daughter while she battled cancer inspired a doctor, a football team, an entire community and McDonald’s to create and build the first Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia, back in 1974. They knew there had to be a better way to stay close.

Kim Hill herself was an inspiration and she triumphed in life in so many ways … as a mother, daughter and friend. She lived with hope and faith and will forever be a part of our legacy of helping children and families across the globe.

Kim Hill, whose illness led to the creation of the Ronald McDonald houses, died Saturday, March 5, 2011, after spending 20 years battling brain tumors.

Hill had leukemia when she was four years old. At the time, Fred Hill, a former USC football player and then-wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, helped organize a fundraiser that earned $10,000 for the Leukemia Society of America. Eagles owner Leonard Tose pushed Fred Hill to build on that.

A series of successes led to the establishment of the first Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia in 1974. Now there are locations all over the world offering families of sick children very affordable lodging near hospitals.

Within a few years, however, the radiation that treated Kim Hill’s leukemia caused large brain tumors to form. One of them was the size of a softball, Fred Hill said, and despite repeated open-skull surgeries, they kept returning.

Between the surgeries and the growths, Kim Hill slowly lost her mobility, her eyesight, and her ability to speak, living at a nursing home in Orange. But she could still laugh, which she did frequently.

Family and friends said Kim Hill amazed them with her positive attitude.

“She was content with her situation,” said Elaine Leithiser, a family friend. “She was so happy. She never complained.”

“She was always positive and just wanted to be with the family,” Fred Hill said. “She always felt good that her life meant something. She didn’t like being sick, but in a way, she was glad she was, because of the good things that happened because of it.”

Full obituary can be found: http://www.ocregister.com/news/hill-291135-kim-fred.html 

We are keeping Kim’s family in our prayers.

I just wanted to share a story from a family that stayed at the Ronald McDonald House:

Dallas and Adrian Filipi were born eight weeks premature on September 5, 2010 at North Country Regional Hospital in Bemidji, MN, to Ben and Tracy Filipi.

 Six hours after their births, Dallas and Adrian were stabilized enough to be flown from Bemidji to the Sanford Children’s Hospital in Fargo, ND. The flight to Fargo was very stressful on both boys and the on flight staff and the NICU staff worked hard on getting them stable once again.

 This was a very difficult time for Ben and Tracy. They were not sure if their precious baby boys were going to be okay. Ben and Tracy had already had to say goodbye to their beautiful little girl Lilliana, who was taken to Heaven at 15 months old, and the thought of losing their sons as well was simply unbearable.

 Ben was able to travel to Fargo the day after their birth, but Tracy wasn’t discharged for 48 hours.

 For the first few days after Tracy’s discharge Ben and Tracy drove back and forth from Bemidji to Fargo. As Tracy wasn’t medically cleared to drive yet, the driving all fell on Ben. They were both emotionally and physically exhausted but they needed to be in Fargo with their sons.

 The hospital staff told the Filipi’s about the Ronald McDonald House and thankfully there was a room available for them to stay at the north house, only a few blocks from the hospital.

 “The home was beautiful and the staff was wonderful—very kind and supportive for us during a very stressful time”

 Ben was still needed back at work in Park Rapids so Tracy stayed at the Ronald McDonald House during the week and Ben would come back on the weekends.

 We were lucky enough to have Ben and Tracy share their story with us at the 22nd Annual Sweetheart Ball. They said, “The home was very comfortable and it indeed was our home away from home.

It was so nice to be able to spend the days with our sons and come back to a cozy, safe and comfortable home just a few blocks away. Not only did we have a place to stay but we received so many awesome gifts for our little boys which include preemie diapers, two beautiful handmade quilts and two handmade crib blankets. As an additional keepsake, we received a Ronald McDonald House picture frame that holds our first picture taken as a family.”

 “…it indeed was our home away from home.”

 “Having the opportunity to stay at the Ronald McDonald House alleviated a lot of stress we would have otherwise had. If we would have had to stay in a hotel for three weeks or drive back and forth, the financial burden would have been too great for us and I don’t think staying with them daily would have been an option.”

 The Filipi’s stayed with us for 21 days before Dallas and Adrian got to go home on their one month birthday, October 5^th. They are thriving and doing great.

www.rmhcfargo.org

Saturday, February 12th, 2011 marked the 22nd Annual Sweetheart Ball! The evening was a hit! As attendees perused the silent auction items, the Holiday Inn prepared a delicious meal. Dana Mogck and Kerstin Kealy from WDAY6 TV were our emcees for the evening.  After a welcome from Katrina Turman Lang, RMHC Board of Directors President and Jill Christopher, RMHC Executive Director, attendees were encouraged to take part in a Heads or Tails game. Christopher Gabriel from WDAY Radio auctioned off six exciting live auction items.

Tracy and Ben Filipi were our guest speakers for the evening and shared their story. Tracy and Ben stayed at the Ronald McDonald House in Fargo for 3 weeks while their twin boys were in the hospital.

Guests were encouraged to “Share A Night” with a family  who can not afford to donate $15.00 a night for their stay. Dakota Medical Foundation generously matched any Share a Night  contribution of $50.00 or more, up to a total of $10,000!

Our silent auction this year was our biggest ever thanks to the generosity of our community businesses and individuals! As the silent  auction wrapped up, there was  music and dancing with the Past Due Band. If you haven’t heard the band, check out when they’re playing next!! They are a LOT of fun!! (www.thepastdueband.com)

Special guest, Ronald McDonald joined us again this year and was able to bring sparkle to the eyes of  children currently staying at the Ronald McDonald House. The children also got to meet a “queen” as Shelle Moran, 2011 Mrs. North Dakota also joined us for the evening.

The Ronald McDonald House would like to extend a huge thank you to all the businesses & individuals who helped make this year a success especially our event sponsors—McDonald’s and BlueCross BlueShield of North Dakota  and our  Platinum sponsors—Financial Business Systems, Prairie St. John’s & Sanford Health.

Check out our upcoming events: www.rmhcfargo.org

As 2011 has already been put into full gear, the Ronald McDonald House looks forward to the adventures of the year. We wanted to start this blog to keep everyone updated on what is going on with us this year.

In the last few months of 2010 we welcomed on a new Executive Director, Jill Christopher and Resource Development Coordinator, Erica Johnsrud. Our first board meeting of 2011 was held last Tuesday and our 2011 Board of Directors is ready for the year ahead.

We look forward to sharing our mission and vision with you as the year progresses!

Coming soon: Giving Hearts Day (February 10th)- your donation will be matched by DMF

 22nd Annual Sweetheart Ball (February 12th)- We are hoping that this will be our best year yet! Lots of exciting auction items and a definite fun evening for you and your sweetheart. Get a sneak peak of auction items: www.rmhcfargo.org/newsandevents

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