Advertising feature IN 2003, Joanne and Geoff Lewis of McDonald’s in Orange, became aware families from the region were sleeping in cars near Orange Base Hospital while their sick children were in-patients.
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In 2005, after talks with local specialists, the Lewis' called a public meeting to garner support to build a Ronald McDonald House (RMH) in Orange.
A steering committee was formed with Mrs Lewis elected as chair - a role which she held for 10 years.
Ronald McDonald Charities provided a seed grant as they do to all new RMH's in Australia to help with funding.
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And so began the decade-long journey to establish Ronald McDonald House Orange:
2005 - Intensive fundraising began, along with negotiations to find a suitable site, which was eventually identified on the Bloomfield Campus.
2005 - 2015 Half a million dollars of goods and in kind was pledged with scores of fundraising events raising $3.8 million to build Stage 1 of the House.
2013 - In April work began on the $4.4 million House, comprising eight rooms, as part of Stage 1.
2014 - In November building handed over for fitting out and furnishing.
2015 - In April the first families were welcomed to RMH.
2016 - Around 150 families, from an area covering 86 per cent of the state, have stayed at the house to date, which equates to 1,096 room nights.
No fees are charged for rooms, with part-funding coming from the Isolated Patients Transport and Accommodation Assistance Scheme. But, donations are always needed given it costs RMH $138 a night to keep each room open.