Ronald McDonald House Charities Wichita has been able to provide a "home-away-from-home" to families with sick or injured children needing hospital care for 40 years now! That is all thanks to the kindness of our volunteers, Sponsors, and donors!!
After reading our timeline and looking through the before and after photos you will truly see how RMHC Wichita has really grown!
For our 4oth year anniversary we have a goal of going to many events and sharing the love of our Ronald McDonald House with Many people! We hope to spread our mission with everyone! and really grow and reach more people to get involved with our mission so in all we can help more families! No we will not be having a big 40th anniversary party but we will be going over and beyond to really share our mission to others!!
Timeline
1974
The first Ronald McDonald House opens in Philadelphia.
1979
The Mid-Kansas McDonald’s Coop members, the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, and Wichita Junior League collaborated to open a Ronald McDonald House in Wichita..
1981
McDonald's High School All-American Basketball Game was played in Wichita. One of the teams included Michael Jordan.
1983
St. Francis and Wesley Medical Centers donated sites for two houses and the ground was broken for the Sleepy Hollow House and was opened on May 19th.
The Capital Campaign for the second Wichita Ronald McDonald House started.
1984
Ground was broken for second Ronald McDonald House in Wichita, this would be called the Midtown Ronald McDonald House.
1985
Wichita became the only city in the world to have two Ronald McDonald Houses when the Midtown Ronald McDonald House opened July 11.
1987
The first golf tournament was played on June 6th.
1993
The tenth anniversary of the Wichita Ronald McDonald Houses was celebrated with 10 family reunions.
1995
Ronald McDonald House Family Room at St. Joseph Hospital opened in November.
1997
Pull-tab Program was started.
1998
Wesley Ronald McDonald House Family Room opens.
Wichita RMHC moved into the cyberspace age with the creation of their first web site and e-mail address.
Jan Deering retired as Executive Director.
1999
Barrick Wilson becomes Executive Director.
2003
RMHC Wichita celebrated their 20th anniversary with open houses at both the Sleepy Hollow and Midtown House
Susan Smythe becomes the 3rd Executive Director.
2004
The first Lights of Love was held at Bradley Fair Shopping Center.
2006
The 20th Ronald McDonald Benefit Golf Tournament was held.
2008
Wichita RMHC celebrated the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Sleepy Hollow House.
2011
Red Shoe Society was organized.
2012
The first Jingle was held.
2013
First Kickball Tournament was held.
2016
Fundraising started for the new 20 bedroom Ronald McDonald House.
2018
Open House for the New Ronald McDonald House was held, complete with a ribbon cutting.
2019
New 20 bedroom Ronald McDonald House opened. The 10 bedroom Sleepy Hollow and Midtown Ronald McDonald Houses closed with the transfer of families staying there to the New Ronald McDonald House.
2020
COVID-19 Pandemic - Ronald McDonald House had to stop admitting families and close all common areas to existing families.
2021
The Ronald McDonald House began to start admitting families again after being closed due to COVID-19.
Last Kickball Tournament was played.
2022
The Ronald McDonald House and the Ronald McDonald Family Room were fully opened after bring closed in 2020 due to COVID-19.
The Jingle fundraising event was replaced with "Rock With Doc".
The first Pappy Van Winkle Raffle was held.
