Last Thursday I had the privileg
e to meet Brad Hastewell, the Relationship and Development Manger from Ronald McDonald House (RMH) NQ. Brad gave me a tour through RMH and like most people I thought the house was only a place where families came to stay when they had sick kids. Brad soon opened my eyes to everything else RMH offers to the families, so much more than just a roof over their heads. They have a Leaning Program that offers tutoring to sick children to help keep the schooling on track whilst in hospital. There is a Family Retreat at Palm Cove in the Mantra Amphora Resort, where families can get away for a holiday after their hospital stay and soon, a Family Room (mini RMH) within the Townsville hospital.
All of these services are available to the families free of charge, for as long as needed, but this is only possible by the generous donations of the local community.
It costs $60:00 a night to house a family in RMH NQ, so the task of fundraising is a real ongoing need. It’s through events such as the Townsville Running Festival, the RMH NQ Charity Ball and the Annual Ayr Duck Race that raise funds which contribute to the continued operation of the house. Every dollar raised in the local area, stays with RMH NQ. So if you are thinking about donating to this wonderful cause please do, just follow the link below and give what you can.
I couldn’t finish without mentioning the cast of volunteers that work at the house. These wonderful people do a fantastic job of cooking (lots of cooking), cleaning, doing the laundry and all the other odd jobs needed to keep the place running. You can tell the volunteers here have a real passion for helping others, as it shows in the presentation and upkeep of the house.
Bod Pod Townsville is doing its bit for the fundraising effort. We should be pretty close to $1000 now. The 100s boards have been the backbone of our fundraising effort so far. If you’re down at Muscle and Fitness (Domain), call in and get your numbers for the next draw. I finally finished mine at work and a big thank you to our winner Sarah, for donating your winnings back to RMH. We’re also planning a fundraising party next month at the West End Tea House and Gallery, so put the 29th of July in your diary, details to follow soon.
Here’s the link to our fundraising page, please give what you can.
https://thetownsvillebulletinchosenones2016.everydayhero.com/au/bod-pod-townsville
Cheers Paul.
