Ronald McDonald House Welcomes Families

The Ronald McDonald House in Loma Linda welcomed in more than 20 families to stay at the newly expanded facility during a meet and greet ceremony Monday, Feb. 6. Mike Kovack, executive director of the Ronald McDonald House Inland Empire, hosted the event and welcomed those in attendance including two families who helped cut the ribbon during the ceremony. “After 8 years of planning, 14 months of construction, 12 months of our families being in hotels and 12 million dollars, we’re home,” Kovack said. As the crowd gathered together in the dining room, Kovack introduced some of the McDonald's Owner/Operators who were present. "These McDonald's operators, the ones that are local, went above and beyond and also gave personally out of their pocket," Kovack said. "So (the) entire west wing is sponsored by McDonald's Owner and Operators. During the event, Kovack gave plaques to Quality Inn Hotel and DoubleTree Hotel for their help in supporting the families. “Not only did they give us a great price, they gave us a guarantee that as long as we needed rooms, we could use rooms at their hotels,” Kovack said. Timothy R. Wagner, General Manager of DoubleTree Hotel, said it has been a fun partnership and the hotel has enjoyed getting to know a lot of the families. “We look forward for a prosperous future together because we think there are a lot of things we can do,” Wagner said. “DoubleTree is a part of Hilton Worldwide which is dedicated to traveling with a purpose, so we have a lot of philanthropy that Hilton Worldwide does. We wish you much success and look forward to continuing our business partnership together.” Kovack thanked San Manuel Band of Mission Indians for their generous contribution of providing the capital campaign gift for construction and also recognized them for their support in subsidizing the families while the stayed at the local hotels. Kovack also spoke about the $1 million donation that was given by the LA Kings And Ontario Reign. One of the families that was present and was directly impacted by the support of the house included George Prado and Joana Melendez. Joana gave birth to their daughter at 7 months on Jan. 28, 2017. Because their daughter was premature and born at only 3 pounds and 4 and half ounces, they were told to bring their daughter to Loma Linda Children’s Hospital. George said the hospital is taking good care of their daughter and has been working to ensure they are informed. The couple said they are grateful for the support that have been given by the Ronald McDonald House. “It’s a blessing,” George said. “We never expected any of this but when we heard about all the things they could offer us, it was good for us and we just appreciate it a lot.” Loma Linda Mayor Rhodes Rigsby was also in attendance of the event. “Loma Linda is known for its hospital and (the Ronald McDonald House) helped put hospitality in hospital for children and their families,” Rigsby said. Before cutting the ribbon outside of the house, Kovack introduced the Ronald McDonald House Board of Trustees who was present and former Board of Trustee members who helped with the expansion. The staff and volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House were also introduced, along with Karen McCulloch, Operations Manager of the Loma Linda Chamber of Commerce, who was in attendance to represent the Loma Linda Chamber of Commerce.