School spotlight
See how these schools have chosen to get involved with the House:
Kristin Middle School
As part of their voluntary work in the community, a group of Year 9 and 10 students from Kristin Middle School recently took on the mammoth task of cooking dinner for 130 family members at the House.
The students realised that by cooking dinner, something that seems like such a small part of everyday life, they were able to relieve some of the pressure for the families who had spent a long and emotionally exhausting day at the hospital with their sick child.
Howick College
Since 1999 Howick College’s MacDonald House (initiated by the late Dean of MacDonald House, David Berriman) has focused its community fundraising on ensuring Ronald McDonald House Auckland gets a generous Christmas gift each year.
It is up to the students of the House to come up with ideas on how they wish to raise the funds. Previous ventures have included shows, discos, barbeques and mufti days.
Bayfield Primary School
As part of their community project in 2007, Bayfield Primary School created the ‘Bayfield Giving Bus’ as a means of collecting funds and much needed items for the House.
The giving bus was moved around a makeshift road within their school library, passing signposts with increasing fundraising targets as more funds were raised. This project was an interactive and visual learning experience in charitable giving for children.
The RMH Auckland Trust funds and governs Ronald McDonald House Auckland (48 rooms), the Ronald McDonald House Family Room (13 short stay critical care rooms) in Starship Hospital and RMHA St Martins (16 offsite apartments). It is a registered community charitable trust comprised of the following partners: Auckland District Health Board, Child Cancer Foundation, Heart Children, The Rotary Club of Downtown Auckland, Ronald McDonald House Charities and 2 community representatives. The House, Family Room and St Martins provide a ‘home away from home’ for over 3,000 families of children with life-threatening illnesses each year. The Trust through its staff and partnerships actively fundraises throughout New Zealand to achieve the $3,000,000 p.a. it needs to run the facilities and support its families. Charity Registration number: CC23591