ATLANTA –To help Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) support families with seriously-ill children, Manheim locations in Hawaii, Seattle, Portland and Nevada have raised more than $42,000 to help support their local Ronald McDonald Houses. In addition to the donations, Manheim employees volunteered many hours at their local Ronald McDonald Houses last year.
In addition to the donations, Manheim employees volunteered many hours at their local Ronald McDonald Houses last year.
Manheim Seattle and Portland raised more than $27,600 to divide between each city’s House at the annual “Race to Give” Dinner and Charity Auction event. More than 80 items were donated by employees and Manheim customers for the silent and live auctions.
“It was a heartfelt charity auction where customers, employees, vendors and the public united together to do a very special thing for a very special organization,” said Ray Priest, General Manager for Manheim Seattle and Portland. “I am blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful employees and customers.”
“Since 1974, our network of local chapters that includes 58 countries around the globe has been supporting families of children with serious illnesses,” said Dianna Finnerty, executive director of RMHC of Western Washington & Alaska. “The donations from Manheim help us provide families with a place to stay together where they can concentrate on their child’s well-being.”
The Seattle Ronald McDonald House provides a caring "home-away-from-home" for families of seriously ill children being treated at Seattle Children's Hospital. The House can accommodate 80 families each night 365 days per year, and is one of the largest Houses in the world. It provides nearly 27,000 nights of housing to approximately 550 families annually. The House is operated and maintained through individual and corporate donations by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Western Washington & Alaska. Families may contribute $25.00 for a night of housing, but no one is turned away due to inability to pay. Money raised from the auction will be used to extend financial assistance such as this to families in need.
Also in 2013, Manheim Nevada held its first fundraiser for RMHC of Greater Las Vegas. A 2006 Dodge Viper sold for $45,000, with $15,000 being donated to RMHC of Greater Las Vegas to help fulfill its mission to provide temporary housing for families who travel to Las Vegas to receive critical medical treatment for their children. The facility serves a high percentage of patients with heart defects from the children's hospital.
“It was incredibly exciting to use the auction process to donate to a proven charity like RMHC,” said Cliff Anderson, general manager of Manheim Nevada. “We wanted to leverage a great car and give a portion of the proceeds to charity.”
“The true success of the charity auction was a direct result of Cliff’s involvement with the local community and Manheim Nevada employees rallying around the cause,” RMHC Executive Director Alyson McCarthy said, noting that the donation will cover the costs of 104 nights of an all-inclusive stay for a family at the Nevada Ronald McDonald House, including lodging, transportation, toiletries, meals, and toys/clothing.
The Las Vegas House is three stories, over 12,000 square feet, and was specifically designed to accommodate up to 12 families at one time. Each of the 12 guest rooms includes a private bathroom with shower, two double beds, linens and a telephone.
Employees at Manheim locations in Portland, Seattle and Hawaii also continue to donate volunteer time to RMHC in their respective cities.
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