Ronald McDonald House Charities of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts

Are you looking for a unique way to put your company's values into practice and make a difference for families in need? Consider becoming a media sponsor for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts to help us amplify our message and broaden our impact! We need help raising awareness of our mission and spreading the word to the general public about the work we do. Contact Cathy Bignolas at 203-777-5683 if you are interested in working with us!

We're getting back on the green! ? Our 39th annual Golf Tournament benefitting our Connecticut House program returns this May! We'll be back at Race Brook Country Club for a fun-filled day of golf featuring course contests, a raffle and silent auction, and awards ceremony. Lunch and dinner will be included in your registration costs. #KeepingFamiliesClose #RMHCT #ForeTheKids

The team from Gary Rome Hyundai and friends from WWLP and Western Mass News stopped by our Springfield House this morning to celebrate the incredible fundraising total from our 4th annual Trees of Hope event we hosted in November! With the help of everyone who attended, entered our raffle, or supported the event in other ways, we raised $165,944 for our Springfield programs! Trees of Hope is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year and is instrumental in supporting our mission. We want to say a special thank you to Gary Rome and the team at @garyromehyundai for hosting Trees of Hope and for all their help in making this event possible. We are deeply grateful for the tremendous support you've given our families! Further thanks go to Hyundai Hope on Wheels, Hyundai Motor America, and all our amazing sponsors. #KeepingFamiliesClose #RMHSpringfield #TreesofHopeSpringfield

Dancing Under the Stars is only one month away and we are so excited to introduce this year's Celebrity Dancers! These six local stars and their professional dance partners have been working hard to learn their routines before they make their debut on the dancefloor! Come cheer them on as they perform to your favorite Disney songs in our ballroom dance competition unlike any other! Dancing Under the Stars will take place on March 21st at Anthony's Ocean View. Tickets are selling fast—get yours before they're gone! Visit our website to get yours today, https://lnkd.in/eYzTde8R.

Last week our staff gathered for a team meeting to review our business plan and goals for 2025, learn some Raiser’s Edge tips and tricks, and celebrate everything we accomplished in 2024! These quarterly meetings are a great way for our team to bond and to see our progress on our biggest goals for the year! #RMHCCTMA

Please join us in welcoming another new face to our Board of Directors, Sara Amato! Sara is an owner/operator of six McDonald's restaurants in Connecticut with 17 total years of experience working with McDonald's. A lifelong New Haven resident, Sara now lives in the city with her partner, Al, and her four children. In addition to running her business and raising her children, Sara is involved in her community, serving as PTO President of her children's school, organizing the local Little League, and joining the board of the State of Connecticut Municipal Redevelopment Authority. Sara is very passionate about Ronald McDonald House Charities and does everything she can to support our mission. For the last three years, she and her family have provided a Thanksgiving meal to families in our Connecticut House. In her restaurants, Sara and her team work hard to raise money for RMHC CTMA through Round Up and other fundraising initiatives. Sara is also a supporter of our annual Trees of Hope event and organizes clean-up days with her McDonald's crews in our Connecticut House. We are excited to have Sara bring her passion and skillset to our Board as our Chapter continues our mission to provide essential services that remove barriers, strengthen families, and promote healing when children need healthcare! #RMHCCTMA #KeepingFamiliesClose

Please join us in welcoming a new face to our Board of Directors, Jon Pensa! Jon is a Senior Vice President and branch manager for Chubb Insurance’s New Haven office which supports Chubb agents and clients throughout the state of Connecticut and the Western counties of Massachusetts. In recent years, Chubb had a family in Jon’s branch that was deeply impacted by the Ronald McDonald House in NY as their son went through treatment. The office followed, cheered, and supported him and his family through his recovery. Through that experience, the branch team gained a much deeper understanding of the impact of the RMH and they started to dedicate their charitable resources towards the Ronald McDonald House of Connecticut. Jon shares, “I continue to be so inspired by the wonderful work of RMHC and have seen the direct and positive impact that the organization has on families who face significant medical challenges and need a welcoming environment to focus on family and healing. The role this organization plays in our community for families in need is immeasurable and I am proud to be a part of supporting the organization's mission as we continue to serve our community.” We are excited to have Jon bring his expertise to our Board as our Chapter continues our mission to provide essential services that remove barriers, strengthen families, and promote healing when children need healthcare! #RMHCCTMA #KeepingFamiliesClose

Tickets for our 34th annual Gala are now available! Our Gala theme this year is The Masters–so wear your country club best, bring your southern charm, and get ready to celebrate with us on April 5th at the picturesque Starting Gate at GreatHouse. Visit our website to get your tickets, https://lnkd.in/gtKiPDai. The Honorary Co-Chairs of this year's Gala are Samantha and David Edwards, pictured here with two friends at one of our golf tournament fundraisers. Samantha and David are highly dedicated to RMHC CTMA, dedicating their personal resources, connections, time, and financial support to ensure families have everything they need during their child's medical journey. Whether by serving on our Board of Directors, opening the doors to new relationships, and even setting up a friendly basketball game for RMHC CTMA children with a local NBA player, their hearts are full and they know the difference their support makes in the lives of children and families.

Through our Meals from the Heart program, you can prepare a meal in our kitchens for families to enjoy. Having warm food prepared comforts our guest families and allows them to focus on their child’s well-being without the added stress or cost of preparing daily meals. If you would like to provide a meal for our families, please call our Houses to schedule a date and time for your meal donation. Learn more by visiting our website, https://lnkd.in/gXJA5z4F. #KeepingFamiliesClose

At their company meeting this week, Maybury Material Handling invited our CEO Michelle and our COO Celine to speak about Ronald McDonald House Charities and our mission. After the presentation, their staff put together snack bags to support our Snack Sack initiative! We will bring these snack sacks to our partner hospitals to give to families of pediatric patients—so no matter if they can stay in our Houses or not, families can still feel our support during their child's treatment!