the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) of Charlotte has taken a huge step
towards becoming a reality.
Concord-based telecommunications powerhouse ACN has stepped up and
made a donation of $1.3 million, providing substantial progress
towards the RMH of Charlotte's funding goals and allowing the charity
to keep pace with its primary construction targets. The announcement
was made today by Mona Johnson-Gibson, RMH of Charlotte's Executive
Director.
"We've been so close to this goal and now our dream of a House being
built on that site will finally come true," Johnson-Gibson said. "I
can't believe all the support that ACN has given us. They have been
extremely generous and are all wonderful people. We can't begin to
thank them enough."
With ACN's generous donation, the RMH of Charlotte is now expected to
break ground on the 1600 block of East Morehead Street in early 2010.
The one-acre parcel of land, donated by Carolinas Medical Center,
currently contains two residences that will be demolished to enable
the start of construction.
Fund-raising for the RMH of Charlotte will continue by raising money
to meet secondary building targets as well as to provide support for
initial operations and to help maintain the House.
ACN, the largest direct seller of telecommunications and home services
in the world, began working exclusively with the Ronald McDonald House
Charities last year raising funds at each of its global events.
"ACN has been a huge supporter of the Ronald McDonald House around the
country and it's only appropriate that we support the House right in
our back yard," said Greg Provenzano, ACN President and Co-Founder.
"We're honored that we were able to step up and help this charity
reach their goal. We are looking forward to the groundbreaking and to
when the House finally opens its doors next year."
During the summer, ACN announced the RMH of Charlotte would be the
official charity of its International Training Event held at both Time
Warner Cable Arena and Bojangles' Coliseum. Following the event, the
company and its independent representatives made a donation of
$124,870 to the RMH of Charlotte. Even Donald Trump, who was the
event's guest speaker, donated $10,000. During the training event, the
company collected contributions from thousands of generous ACN
representatives and employees. ACN then matched these contributions
dollar for dollar.
About ACN
Uniting together in 1993, the entrepreneurial team of Greg Provenzano,
Robert Stevanovski, Mike Cupisz and Tony Cupisz launched a single-
product enterprise that would quickly become the largest direct seller
of telecommunications and home services in the world. Today, ACN
provides customers with a full-scale Product Portfolio including IRIS
3000 Video Phone, Digital Phone Service, Wireless, Local/Long Distance
and Internet, Home Security and Satellite TV. ACN is on the forefront
of technology with Digital Phone Service and Video Phone, which allows
users to see the person they're talking to – in real time. With this
revolutionary product, ACN is changing the face of communication. ACN
operates in 20 countries with offices throughout North America, Europe
and Asia Pacific. For more information, visit www.myacn.com.
About the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte
Currently, Charlotte is the only major U.S. city that does not have a
RMH. The RMH of Charlotte is scheduled to open in late 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 begin in early 2010. 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.
