House will Name Dining Room After Foundation
CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Sept. 22, 2009—The Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation
came to the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) of Charlotte's Volunteer
Kickoff meeting tonight carrying a big check.
The Foundation kicked off the meeting when it announced it was
donating $250,000 to the RMH of Charlotte in front of almost 200
volunteers. In turn, the charity announced that it would name its
future dining room after the Foundation. Both announcements took
place at St. Mark's Lutheran Church on Queens Road.
"Dealing with the trauma of having a child who is ill is a challenge,"
said Kendall Alley, Wachovia's Greater Charlotte Regional President.
"Having to be away from home to manage treatment for the illness only
compounds the impact on a family. The Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation
is pleased to support the efforts of Ronald McDonald House of
Charlotte to provide a 'home away from home' for families with
children who are being treated for illness. We hope that in some way
we are able to provide, security, comfort and support when families
need it most."
With the Foundation's donation tonight, the RMH of Charlotte is closer
to reaching their goal of $11 million in funds needed ($7 million for
construction and the remaining to furnish, maintain and operate the
House for 1 year).
"With tonight's donation, we are very close to putting a shovel in the
ground," said Mona Johnson-Gibson, RMH of Charlotte's Executive
Director. "We are expecting to hear back from other potential donors
who will finally put us in a position where we can finally show the
people in this community that the RMH of Charlotte will be a reality.
"From the bottom of my heart, I truly want to thank the Wachovia Wells
Fargo Foundation for this generous donation. When the families who
will stay at the House see the Foundation's name above the door
leading dining room, they'll know Wachovia and Wells Fargo built this
for them."
There will be one more volunteer kickoff meeting at St. Mark's
Lutheran Church on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 10 a.m. For more
information, call Ari Harris at 704-335-1191 or email ariharris@rmhofcharlotte.org
.
About the Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation
The mission at the Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation is to build strong
and vibrant communities, improve the quality of life and make a
positive difference. It is a private foundation providing grants to
eligible 501(c) (3) tax-exempt organizations to support specific focus
areas: education, community development, health and human services,
arts and culture, environment and civic.
About the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte
Currently, Charlotte is the only major US city that does not have a
RMH. The RMH of Charlotte is scheduled to open sometime in 2010 and
will serve the families of children being treated at Levine Children's
Hospital and Hemby Children's Hospital. Located on the 1600 block of
East Morehead Street on land donated by Carolinas Medical Center, the
House will feature approximately 35,000 square feet of living space
complete with 28 bedrooms (one family per bedroom/suite), providing
more than 10,000 nights for the families. It is also scheduled to
have a community kitchen, great room, learning center, playground and
sitting porch. Construction will hopefully begin in this year. The
RMH of Charlotte is an independent 501 (c) (3) charity managed by a
local board of directors which will oversee construction and operation
of the home. The cost of building and operating the RMH of Charlotte
will come primarily from individual and corporate donations. The RMH
of Charlotte will be funded, constructed and operated by the Charlotte
community. The mission of the RMH of Charlotte is to provide the
families of children being treated in area medical facilities with a
safe, affordable and caring "home away from home." For more
information on RMH of Charlotte, visit www.rmhofcharlotte.org.
