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RMHC Love Notes              June 2018

Topeka's Ronald McDonald House is 30!
The Ronald McDonald House in Topeka opened its doors on June 15, 1988.  We invited friends and supporters for a birthday open house on June 15, 2018, when refreshments were provided and guests were invited to tour the House. It was great fun taking a walk down memory lane and commemorating 30 years of keeping families close to their hospitalized children!  

In honor of our 30 years of community service and support, Mayor Michelle De La Isla proclaimed June 15, 2018 as "Ronald McDonald House Day" in the City of Topeka.
Thank You, Mary!
It's truly the end of an era, as part-time House Manager Mary Roth resigned her position after 30 years of dedicated service. She is a big part of our institutional memory and we're going to miss having her here on a regular basis.  The good news is that Mary plans to volunteer and fill in as a Relief Manager when we're in a pinch for 24/7/365 coverage. She certainly has touched thousands of lives with her kind and caring spirit during the past three decades.  We wish Mary well as she moves on to other career adventures!
A huge blessing was bestowed upon us from Team Blake, with Blake's mom Jaclyn Cazier delivering a $4,000 donation for our House and our families.  We are so thankful!  It seems fitting to share the following passage, which is the mantra of Team Blake.
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Hebrews 10:24-25
Twenty-nine teams participated in the 2nd annual Charity Golf Classic on Monday, May 21, which raised more than $16,000 to support family stays at Topeka's Ronald McDonald House.  While sponsorship levels for the event were down, more teams competed and the silent auction revenue was a four-fold increase over 2017.  "It was a beautiful day at Lake Shawnee Golf Course and a great event for our organization," commented Vic Walther, chair of the event planning committee.  The winning team from Mize Houser & Co. finished the four-person scramble at 14-under par.  Other standouts include Hugh O'Reilly, longest putt made on green; Bryan Minnis, closest to the pin; Jake Weber, closest to the pin on 2nd shot; Ashley Barmann, longest drive in the fairway (women) and James Sage, longest drive in the fairway (men).  Plans for the 3rd annual Charity Golf Classic are being discussed with a date to be announced in the near future. 

Carson Steinman raised $76.95 through his lemonade stand, which he delivered to CEO/Executive Director Mindee Reece. Nothing touches our hearts more than kids who lend support to our RMHC families!

Topeka's Ronald McDonald House was one of four local organizations selected by KSNT for a day-long volunteer effort as Nexstar, KSNT's parent company, held its annual Founder's Day of Caring. It was a wonderful stroke of fate for it to fall on June 15 when we celebrated our 30th birthday. We really enjoyed having so much help from our KSNT friends, who are always supportive of our efforts to keep families close to their hospitalized children!
The Lance Elliott Pull a Plane Challenge to benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Kansas was held on Saturday, June 9 at the American Flight Museum, Forbes Field, Topeka. Sixteen teams competed to see which could pull an 80,000-pound vintage airplane 40 feet in the quickest time. The event also featured a car and motorcycle show, games for children and adults, music, food trucks and vendors, military vehicles and exhibits.  

This year the competition was split into two divisions:  Heavyweight, with an estimated aggregate team weight of more than 1,800 pounds, and Welterweight, with an estimated aggregate team weight of 1,800 pounds or less.  Midwest Health won the Heavyweight division with a pull of 12.8 seconds, unseating BNSF,  the reigning champions the past two years.  V100 Rocks won the Welterweight division, with a pull of 16.13 seconds.  The Topeka Police Department came out on top as the highest fundraising team, with a donation of $1,720!  The top individual fundraising prize was awarded to LT Robert Simmons with the Topeka Police Department, who is also a member of our Board of Directors and Red Shoe Crew.

"Once again, we had a fun and unique event to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House.  This is the only plane-pulling competition in the area, and we keep trying to improve the participant and spectator experience each year; we think the success this year was due to that," commented Patrick Smith, Planning Committee chairperson.  "We hope to build on the number of teams next year and have the biggest and most competitive event yet."  Patrick encourages people to help spread the word, start getting their 10-person teams assembled, and challenge rival businesses, public service departments, and friends to join in and support a great cause.

We appreciate all of the organizations that sponsored this year's Lance Elliott Pull a Plane Challenge:
  • BNSF
  • Cumulus-Topeka
  • Krasny's Motorcycle Shop
  • KSNT
  • Midwest Health 
  • WestSide Stamp & Awards
  • Westar Energy
"This event was made possible only through the support of BNSF and the American Flight Museum," commented Mindee Reece, CEO/Executive Director of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Kansas.  "We are truly blessed with amazing community partners and look forward to an even bigger and better event in 2019!"
Thirty-four donors chose to support the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Kansas at the 2018 Topeka Gives event, a single day of charitable giving at Fairlawn Plaza Mall hosted by the Topeka Community Foundation.  With the Foundation's match, we received $3,738.34. This amount will cover just short of 150 nights of family stays at Topeka's Ronald McDonald House!
Topeka’s Ronald McDonald House offers guest families:
  • Proximity to their hospitalized children
  • A comfortable place to sleep
  • Home-cooked meals and a fully-equipped double kitchen
  • Gathering areas for families to relax
  • Laundry facilities and WIFI access
  • Ongoing support from staff, volunteers, and other families
Our doors are open for families 24 hours a day, 365 day a year.
Upcoming Events
  • Dining to Donate Fundraiser, Blue Moose Bar & Grill, 3030 SW Wanamaker, Wednesday, July 18
  • First Friday Artwalk Fundraiser, Prairie Glass Studio, 110 SE 8th Ave., Friday, August 3
  • "Cheers to 30 Years" Denim to Diamonds Gala, Ramada Inn Hotel & Convention Center, Saturday, August 25
  • Lance Elliott Memorial Ride hosted by the Red Shoe Crew, Saturday, October 20
Click Here for Event Details



Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Kansas
825 SW Buchanan Street
Topeka, KS  66606
(785) 235-6852

info@rmhcneks.org
www.rmhcneks.org
 
 
Copyright © *2016* *Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Kansas*, All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:
825 SW Buchanan Street
Topeka, KS  66606

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Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Kansas · 825 SW Buchanan Street · Topeka, KS - Kansas 66606 · USA

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