What’s better than a mid-week bite to eat at McDonald’s? How about a meal for a good cause today (May 10), which marks the 48th annual McHappy Day.
A percentage of total sales from throughout the day in Halton Hills will go toward the Georgetown Hospital Foundation (GHF) and Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Each year, the GHF uses the money to buy new pediatric care equipment. The foundation is using the money raised this year for a new Giraffe Incubator Carestation, which costs more than $50,000.
“The Giraffe Incubator Carestation is like a second womb,” Dr. Pamini Rasalingam, medical director of pediatrics at Georgetown Hospital, says in a promotional video. “It’s a micro-environment that helps our babies grow, develop, and heal.”
Meanwhile, Ronald McDonald Houses provide a place for families to stay nearby while their children are receiving hospital care.
“McHappy Day was established in 1975 to help families with sick children, whether they’re in the hospital or have to be there every day for a procedure,” Casey O’Connor, co-owner of McDonald’s Halton Hills, says in the video.
Approximately 30 per cent of the money raised annually for the Ronald McDonald House Charities comes from initiatives such as McHappy Day, the Happy Meal Program, which donates 10 cents for every Happy Meal sold, and donation boxes in the restaurants. The remaining 70 per cent comes from fundraising activities and other donations.
“We’re extremely grateful to the McDonald’s Georgetown and Acton locations for supporting our hospital and our tiniest patients,” Sandra Taylor, executive director of the Georgetown Hospital Foundation says.
McHappy Day originated in Canada and is now celebrated around the world. Last year, the initiative raised more than $5.7 million across the country.