Ronald McDonald House New Orleans

History of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater New Orleans, Inc.

In 1969, Fred Hill of the Philadelphia Eagles had a little girl with leukemia. Wanting to fight the disease in some tangible way, he and his teammates developed a fund-raising group called “Eagles Fly for Leukemia.” Together, they raised funds for two sterile isolation rooms and equipment for a new cancer wing at the hospital.

Although they were very successful, they wanted to do more. Dr. Audry Evans, chief of the oncology department at Children’s Hospital, suggested they create a place for families to stay. The place should be affordable, comfortable, convenient and provide a supportive atmosphere. They liked her idea and set out to make it happen. Jim Murray, the Eagles general manager, contacted his friend who was the president of the ad agency that handled the McDonald’s account in the area. He asked if McDonald’s would donate $ .25 from each green, the Eagle’s color, “Shamrock Shake” sold during an upcoming promotion.

McDonald’s agreed to donate all the money from the “Shamrock Shake” sales and they asked that the new facility be named after their mascot clown, Ronald McDonald. The shake sale raised almost enough money needed to purchase the house that Dr. Evans had picked out. That house opened October 15, 1974, and was a complete success from the beginning. Everyone thought that would be the one and only Ronald McDonald House.

As the word of Ronald McDonald House spread, more parents’ groups were formed and more Houses opened. The New Orleans Ronald McDonald House opened December 10, 1983, just nine years after the first House opened. The New Orleans House was the 53rd Ronald McDonald House in the country.

The New Orleans House, like many of the others, began with a parents’ group. They founded Children’s Oncology Services of Louisiana (COSLA), a non-profit organization that initially owned and operated the New Orleans House.

COSLA purchased a run-down rooming house on Canal Street. Unfortunately, the renovations were an ordeal from the beginning. Volunteers gutted the house. But when the contractors went to work, they found more problems than they anticipated. Renovation costs skyrocketed. The final product cost more than one million dollars. But it was worth it! The New Orleans House is a beautiful, homey, 15-bedroom house with a huge kitchen and dining room, two laundry areas, a toy room, two dens and a living room – plenty of space for guests to make themselves at home and visit with each other.

While the social factor is important, the most important aspect of the House is the emotional support and encouragement that the families give to each other. They share, listen and help one another maintain a positive outlook.

In June 1996, the New Orleans Ronald McDonald House merged with the foundation Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities (as did other Ronald McDonald Houses nationwide) to become Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater New Orleans. Now the organization is able to reach out and meet more needs in the community, while continuing to support the House as its cornerstone program. Beneficiaries of Ronald McDonald House Charities are other non-profits, which have demonstrated their ability to respond to the specific needs of children and their families in a definitive, hands-on way that yields measurable results.