Ronald McDonald House of Jacksonville Launches Campaign to Raise $4 Million for New Facility

The Ronald McDonald House of Jacksonville, a shelter for parents of sick children undergoing medical care, has initiated a campaign to raise $4 million for a new facility. The existing 10-bedroom house on Jefferson Street near University Medical Center will be replaced by a new, larger facility on the south bank of the St. Johns River, adjacent to Wolfson Children's Hospital and Nemours Children's Clinic. This move is necessary due to the consolidation of children's services at the two hospitals, according to Jane Lanier, the executive director of Ronald McDonald House. The new facility will provide shelter and food to families for $10 a night, a service crucial for those with seriously ill children receiving medical care.

Key Takeaways:

• The Ronald McDonald House of Jacksonville is launching a campaign to raise $4 million for a new facility, which will be located on the south bank of the St. Johns River, close to Wolfson Children's Hospital and Nemours Children's Clinic.
• The existing 10-bedroom house on Jefferson Street near University Medical Center will be replaced by the new facility, which will be twice as large as the current one.
• Four of the rooms in the new facility will be specially designed for children receiving bone-marrow transplants, which require a special air-filtration system due to the weakened immune system of the patients.
• Ronald McDonald House officials have already raised about half of the $4 million needed, with the goal of opening the new facility in the fall of 1999.
• Local McDonald's franchisees are supporting the organization's activities and assisting with fundraising efforts, although McDonald's Corp. does not provide direct support.
• The new facility will be designed to provide shelter and food to families for $10 a night, a service crucial for those with seriously ill children receiving medical care.

Statistics:

• The Ronald McDonald House of Jacksonville needs to raise $4 million for its new facility.
• The new facility will be twice as large as the existing one, with four rooms specifically designed for children receiving bone-marrow transplants.
• Ronald McDonald House officials have already raised about half of the $4 million needed.
• The new facility is expected to open in the fall of 1999.
• The existing facility is located on Jefferson Street near University Medical Center, while the new facility will be located on the south bank of the St. Johns River, adjacent to Wolfson Children's Hospital and Nemours Children's Clinic.

Sources:

• Jane Lanier, Executive Director, Ronald McDonald House (no publication date)
• Ronald McDonald House of Jacksonville press release (no publication date)