Ronald McDonald House Charities(R) To Host 'Caring Calls for Kids' Phone Bank To Help Support Children and Families From the Philadelphia Region

PHILADELPHIA, March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Ronald McDonald House Charities  (RMHC®) of the Philadelphia Region will be hosting a "Caring Calls for Kids" Phone Bank on Tuesday, March 9, 2010 from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with CBS 3 and The CW Philly.  During the five-hour fundraiser, RMHC invites the community to contribute to this impactful organization by dialing 1-877-KYW- 3275 and donating to the cause. (Phone number will not be active until March 9.)

All funds raised through the phone bank will directly benefit RMHC, a non-profit organization that creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children in our community.

"It is our hope that the phone bank will help raise awareness of RMHC and the donations needed to keep offering services that support the health and well-being of children and families," says John Durante, McDonald's Owner/Operator and President of RMHC of the Philadelphia Region, Inc.   "We are so grateful to all of our sponsors and to CBS 3 and The CW Philly for partnering with us for this great cause."

Numerous companies have committed to sponsor the event including:  McDonald's Restaurants of the Greater Philadelphia Region, Philadelphia Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Keystone Foods, Tri-State Toyota Dealers Association and AT & T.  

Additionally, Philadelphia sports teams have teamed up with RMHC to offer an unprecedented line-up of Sixers, Phillies and Flyers suites, tickets and autographed memorabilia as incentives for callers throughout the broadcast, including a rare opportunity to meet Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay.  Also appearing as celebrity phone bank operators will be representatives from the Flyers Alumni, Sixers Dance Team and on-air talent from CBS 3, The CW Philly and local CBS radio stations.

"Change the Luck of a Child" Shamrock Fundraiser

To create some excitement and awareness leading up to the phone bank, all McDonald restaurants will be hosting "Change the Luck of a Child" shamrock sale fundraiser.   From March 1st to March 8th, paper Shamrocks can be purchased for $1, $5 or $10, and will be on display throughout the restaurant.  All of the money raised will go directly to RMHC. In addition, many local businesses, bars and restaurants are participating in the fundraiser prior to the event as well.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of the Philadelphia Region, Inc.

RMHC is a non-profit, 501 (c)(3) that creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children. In the Greater Philadelphia Region, RMHC supports the following programs:

• Ronald McDonald Houses® of Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey and Delaware, which offer families a way to stay together, in proximity to the treatment hospital, and be comfortable and cared for during their stay.
• Ronald McDonald Family Rooms®, which offer a place of refuge to families in the hospital where their child is staying because of illness or injury. Ronald McDonald Family Rooms are currently operated in Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Cooper University Hospital (Camden, NJ), South Jersey Healthcare (Vineland, NJ), AtlantiCare (Atlantic City, NJ), Capital Health (Trenton, NJ), Virtua Health (Voorhees, NJ), Shore Memorial Hospital (Somers Point, NJ), Kennedy University Hospital (Turnersville, NJ), Christiana Hospital (Wilmington, DE) and Alfred I. DuPont Hospital (Wilmington, DE).
• The St. Christopher's Foundation for Children Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®, which delivers diagnostic, preventative and restorative dental care at no cost to qualified children, aged three to eight. Children qualify for the program if their families are unable to find a Medicaid provider or cannot afford to pay for dental services.
• RMHC Scholarship Programs, which awards up to $70,000 in college scholarships to graduating seniors in the area.
• RMHC of the Philadelphia Region grants nearly $300,000 per year to support non-profit programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children.

For more information, visit www.rmhc.org.

SOURCE Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Philadelphia Region, Inc.