Ronald McDonald House: New Hyde Park opened its doors in September 1986 as the “100th House that Love Built.” We wouldn’t be where we are without the pioneers who opened the first House in Philadelphia over fifty years ago, including Dr. Audrey Evans, renowned pediatric oncologist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Today, there are nearly 400 Ronald McDonald House programs all over the world, built and sustained by the community it serves.
The first Ronald McDonald House opened in 1974 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Inspired by a young girl, Kim Hill, the first Ronald McDonald House was created to provide a home away from home for families of pediatric cancer patients. Kim was a four-year-old who battled leukemia while her dad, Fred, a Philadelphia Eagles football player, and mom, Fran, slept on waiting room chairs and ate from vending machines so they could always be by Kim’s side.
Jimmy Murray, general manager for the Philadelphia Eagles, visited Kim in the hospital and asked what could be done to help Fred Hill and his family. Kim’s doctor, Dr. Audrey Evans, explained that parents needed a place to rest to be strong for their children undergoing rigorous treatment schedules. Dr. Evans astutely believed that family was an integral part of children’s care.
Dr. Audrey Evans was a pioneering oncologist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). She, along with Jimmy Murray, approached local McDonald’s owner/operators to see if they could help. McDonald’s agrees to help by donating the proceeds of Shamrock Shake sales to the purchase of what is now the first Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia. Over 50 years later, there are nearly 400 Ronald McDonald Houses around the world.
They say the rest is history, but in this case, it was the start of a global organization that inspires communities to support families with sick children and which serves millions of children worldwide.
Volunteers are the heartbeat of our organization. Each volunteer brings something unique, but together, they provide families with love and compassion, 365 days a year.
Inspired by Dr. Evans’ vision for innovative care, the founders of the Ronald McDonald House in New Hyde Park included Lyn Jurick, a trustee at LIJ (now Northwell Health System); Irving Klein, a prominent McDonald’s owner/ operator; and Dr. Philip Lanzkowsky, the chief of staff of Schneider Children’s Hospital (now Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York, Northwell Health). They knew the Long Island and Queens community would support creating a Ronald McDonald House for families traveling far from home for their children’s treatment.
The Ronald McDonald House in New Hyde Park has a rich history. We are the 100th house in the system and opened with 18 private family guest rooms on September 29, 1986. Since that day, the House has expanded to 42 bedrooms, eight kitchens—including two Kosher kitchens—laundry facilities, a library and numerous indoor and outdoor spaces where families come together as a community.
To date, extraordinary volunteers have provided more than 34,000 families with a comfortable bed to sleep in and warm meals. Moms, dads, aunts, uncles, brothers, and sisters have surrounded them, comforting each other during every setback and celebrating every milestone together.
Our Ronald McDonald House founders created a community that serves more than 3,500 families each year—and is still growing. Ronald McDonald House Long Island is one organization now with many programs. In addition to our 42-bedroom House, we also built and sustain two Ronald McDonald House Family Rooms at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital and we are currently building another Ronald McDonald House in Suffolk County.
