McHappy Day raises more than $17,000 at local restaurants

By Keely Ross

Kim Hutchinson Lewis and her family. Her daughter, Myrella (centre), needed treatment at Sick Kids and was the reason the family used Ronald McDonald House.
Neal Bhatt, owner of McDonald’s in Lindsay and Beaverton. Photo: Roderick Benns.

In July 2022 Kim Hutchinson’s daughter, Myrella, was diagnosed with Burkitts, a very aggressive Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The young child had a good prognosis but the treatment she was going to endure was very intense.

The Hutchinson’s live in Kawartha Lakes and due to the nature of Myrella’s treatment, her and her family needed to be close to Sick Kids Hospital. Luckily, they were able to stay at a Ronald McDonald House (RMH) located just a few blocks away for the six months they needed to be in Toronto.

That’s the reason McHappy Day exists – to raise funds for families across Canada in similar situations. Every year on that day, a portion of the proceeds from each meal served at McDonalds is donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities. RMHC has set up houses worldwide for children and families who need them.

This year marks the 30th McHappy Day held in Canada and the 50th anniversary of Ronald McDonald House Charities. In 2023 McDonalds locations in Lindsay and Beaverton raised $10,700 on McHappy Day. This year, more than $17,000 was raised, according to Tanvi Bhatt, owner along with her husband Neal, of the two restaurants.

That support means a lot to people like the Lewis’. They are just one of the many families that have been helped by McHappy Day and Ronald McDonald House Charities.

“When you are going through something so shocking and devastating, Ronald McDonald House is a magical place. There are people who understand what you’re going through. There is fun for the kids, events, resources, and meals generously made by volunteers,” says Hutchinson Lewis.

The staff at RMH work hard to make the families feel welcome in any way possible and try to make life a little easier during their stay. The little things were what really made Myrella and her family’s stay special.

“My daughter could only eat Zoodles at one time, and they would make sure the pantry was well stocked with cans in the pop top style so we could also take it to the hospital. They put meals away for us when we weren’t going to be there at dinner time, they always had a smile and never forgot a name,” says Hutchinson Lewis.

Myrellas treatment went well, and she is doing much better now. Her and her family were able to go back to their home though they sometimes miss RMH.

“Now that she is doing well, my daughter often asks to go back, and although we never want to have to use it again, we miss it. I think that is a testament to how wonderful the house truly is,” says Hutchinson Lewis.

“McHappy Day is a long-standing Canadian tradition and is the heart of who we are and what we do at McDonald’s Canada. For us, we are extremely proud to have partnered with RMHC to help support children and families in our community. Doing good is very important to us as citizens of our community and as a business owner,” Tanvi Bhatt told the Advocate.

In an average year with the support from Canadians on McHappy Day, RMCH is able to keep 26,000 families with sick children from over 3,400 Canadian communities in a house near a children’s hospital.

“McHappy Day has always been an admirable cause, but it has certainly taken on more meaning for our family since we had to use the Ronald McDonald House. It is truly a magical place,” says Hutchinson Lewis.

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