Ronald McDonald House Fundraiser

The new Ronald McDonald House for Dunedin benefitted wonderfully from the fabulous gala night at The Gate Conference Centre. An enthusiastic crowd joined in the boisterous bidding rounds for the varied range of auction items. Auctioneer Neil Bulling and MC Peter Williams joined forces to succeed in getting many sales well past their valuations.

 

Southland woman, Justine McRae’s heartfelt words of her family’s personal journey with their son Henry resonated with many in room. Her family spent 375 nights in Ronald McDonald Houses in Auckland and Invercargill during Henry’s illness. Sadly, Henry is no longer with us but the care and support offered in these houses definitely left a lasting impression. 

Following on from this, a round of Last Man Standing saw most people pitch in to Host a Central Otago Family into a Ronald McDonald House @ $234 for one night. One, even supporting a family for a whole month! In total, 80 nights were gifted during the evening. Since the evening, more people have supported the cause and with all the donations confirmed we have now proudly reached a total of $59,000!  That is $18,000 for Host a Family and $41,000 for the Dunedin Ronald McDonald House build.

 

This is an incredible outcome for the hardworking team of Rotarians who put the evening together and the amazing support of all our auction donators, our sponsors large and small, and our wonderful community.

Thank you everyone, what an epic result this is for young local families in need.

 

The evening was rounded off with plenty of dancing and singing to the fine entertainment from Deano and Cherl.