On Friday, June 26, the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House will accept a check for $5.6 million from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians to kick off an expansion that ill more than double the space for families wanting to stay near their children at Loma Linda Children’s Hospital.
The House no has 21 rooms for guests. That will be expanded to 54 rooms, along with improvements and expansion to other facilities to better serve the families.
“We have been running at 150 percent of capacity,” said Mike Kovack, executive director of Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House as he addressed the Kiwanis Cub of Highland on Thursday, June 18. “This is our 19th anniversary, and we have been over capacity for the past eight years.”
Kovack said they need $10 million for the new construction, and went to the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians for help. They were told that if they could raise $3 million elsewhere, the Tribe would donate $5.6 million to get them to the necessary 80 percent of their goal.
The San Manuel check will be presented at the kickoff program on June 26.
“The Children’s Hospital is also expanding,” Kovack said, “and we ned to keep up.”
The Ronald McDonald House serves as a home away from home for families with children in the hospital, providing rooms, meals and even clothing and toiletries, plus shuttle service to and from the hospital.
“We have been spending $200,000 a year for hotels for those we can’t accommodate,” Kovack said. “We would rather put that money into expansion of our own facilities.”
Kovack says they are getting an additional $50,000 from Edison for energy-saving construction being built into the new addition.
There are over 300 Ronald McDonald Houses in 50 countries, Kovack said.
“We call it the house that love built.” Kovack added. “Don’t think of it as Loma Linda’s house; think of it as your house.”
For more information on the Ronald McDonald House, call (909) 558-8300.
The Kiwanis Club of Highland meets Thursdays at 7 a.m. at the East Highland Ranch Stone House. For more information, visit highlandkiwanis.org.