The efforts of the Collingwood McDonald’s is helping to lighten the load of families with sick children.
The Collingwood McDonald’s at 285 First St. has been named the second-highest fundraiser across Ontario for this year’s McHappy Day fundraiser, bringing in $40,907 for Ronald McDonald House Charities and local children’s charities.
Local franchisee Brent Kelly’s second McDonald’s location at 1275 Mosley Street in Wasaga Beach also raised $12,228 this year, for a grand total of $54,135 raised between the two locations.
“Over the years, it’s become a passion for me and the restaurant to donate to this cause,” said Collingwood store manager Vince Schneider. “We’ve had tours of the Ronald McDonald House. Everytime we go, we come back with a wonderful feeling about the house.”
“Also, I’m a bit competitive. I want to be the best at raising funds,” said Schneider. “I’m proud to be near the top of that list. It’s amazing.”
This year, Schneider said the Collingwood and Wasaga Beach teams put on a fundraising dinner to help raise more than previous years, which brought in $36,000 on its own.
“It was very successful,” he said.
The Collingwood and Wasaga Beach McDonalds work with the Manito Shrine Club for McHappy Day as a community partner.
“They were unbelievably supportive,” said Schneider.
The funds raised from McHappy Day, which took place this year on May 10, go toward providing support for families with sick children, helping to keep them close to each other and medical care.
Across Canada, this year’s McHappy Day fundraiser brought in more than $7.5 million.
"The success of this year's McHappy Day is a testament to the generosity and support of our guests, franchisees and their crew and our employees," said Michèle Boudria, president and CEO of McDonald's Canada. "We are incredibly honoured to be able to contribute to the impactful work of RMHC and other local children's charities, who do so much to support our communities."
Across the country, one in four Canadians have either stayed at a Ronald McDonald House or know someone who has, with the organization supporting up to 554 families every night.
