Utah McDonald's help raise charity funds

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Utah McDonald's restaurants are celebrating the kick-off of the chain's 10th annual "Give A Hand" fundraiser to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities supporting families with ill or injured children.

Through Nov. 20, customers may donate to the charity in denominations of $1, $3, or $5.

"Our community is eager to help others and over the past year, with McDonald's customer and employee support, the campaign raised $35,813 for the local chapter, Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Intermountain Area. This helped provide a home away from home for nearly 1,600 families," said Chuck Sparrer, a local McDonald's owner.

This summer, Ronald McDonald House of the Intermountain Area announced an $11 million expansion and renovation project to accommodate the changing needs of families seeking specialized pediatric care for their child. Last year the Ronald McDonald House in Salt Lake City served 1,574 families. Even with that impressive figure, it still had to turn away 522 families due to lack of space. The charity has raised all but $2 million of the funds to build the expanded campus.

The charity is also building out a new Ronald McDonald Family Room within Primary Children's Medical Center in partnership with Intermountain Healthcare. The new Ronald McDonald Family Room will provide a welcoming and home-like area for patient families at Primary Children's. The new Family Room will also allow the charity to meet its mission with Salt Lake County families who do not stay at its houses, as well as families from rural areas and surrounding states.

For nearly 25 years, Ronald McDonald House has provided rooms for children undergoing medical treatment, their parents, siblings and direct care givers enabling them to stay locally for days, weeks or even months in close proximity to the medical facility and be comfortable and cared for during their stay.

McDonald's USA, LLC, is the leading food-service provider in the United States, serving more than 26 million customers every day. Nearly 90 percent of McDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local business men and women. All 108 McDonald's restaurants in Utah are locally owned and operated with the local McDonald's restaurants annually pumping some $83.6 million into the Utah economy and employing 5,765 people.