News and Happenings

Join us again at Oak Creek Sporting Club in Brainard, NE on October 15 and 16, 2011 for this annual fundraiser.
Call Mike Bird at (402) 346-9377 for more information.
Click here to download the registration form.

Linda Ridgway’s fourth-grade class and Kim Reid’s first-graders at Monclair Elementary School tied for first in a food drive display contest that benefitted the Omaha Ronald McDonald House.
Students donated nearly 2,000 cans and boxes of food during the drive, which was organized as a service learning project by the fifth-grade classes at the school.
The fourth-graders used the food items to create a large heart, while the first-graders created a robot with their donated food items. Other displays were of castles, a cyclops, volcanoes and the Eiffel Tower.

Local celebrities will show off their skills during "Dancing with the Omaha Stars," Jan. 22 to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities in Omaha.
The fundraiser, sponsored by Omaha Ballroom Studio, will be held at Champions Run in Omaha. Doors will open at 6 p.m. for a cash bar and silent auction. The show starts at 7 p.m.
Competitors for the event include Nelson from radio station Q-98, Rusty Lord, WOWT meteorologist, Mike Digiacomo from the Morning Blend and Kayla Bough, Miss Omaha. Dani Bradford will represent RMHC Omaha in the competition. Bradford is a RMHC Omaha board member.

Students at Oakdale Elementary School in Omaha collected nearly 2,000 food items for the Omaha Ronald McDonald House. Oakdale’s Student Council coordinated the drive, which was held in conjunction with the school’s Spirit Week. The donated food will be used to stock the organization’s food pantry, which is made available to its residents.

Shoppers who stop by One Pacific Place this weekend will have a chance to find good buys -- and the opportunity to support Ronald McDonald House Charities in Omaha.
RMHC Omaha is the benefitting charity of One Pacific Place's Grand Re-Opening. Shoppers who purchase a $5 card will receive discounts or give-aways at participating stores, including the new Trader Joes. All proceeds from the sale of the cards benefit RMHC Omaha.
Look for our signs at One Pacific Place.

Dick Sturgeon of Omaha State Bank will serve as president of the Ronald McDonald House Charities in Omaha Board of Directors for 2011. He succeeds Mike Bird.
Craig Nelson of MSI Systems Integrators will serve as president-elect, while Katie Barton of Gallup will serve as secretary and Scott Carrico of Lutz & Co. will serve as treasurer.
Joining the board of directors are Dick Coffey of Consortio Group LLC, and Mary Ehlers of Midwest Tire. Outgoing board members are Mike Greene and Matt Meduna.

Residents of the Omaha Ronald McDonald House will have winter coats to wear – thanks to members of LEAD, a women's initiative at Union Pacific Railroad, which coordinated a coat drive for the organization. LEAD members recently dropped off 40 winter coats at the Ronald McDonald House. The Ronald McDonald House provides a temporary home for families that bring their sick children to a local hospital for medical care. Many residents come from warm-weather states and do not have winter coats.

Three Bellevue East DECA students – Amanda Scamfer, Kendra Reineke and Paige Price – hosted a Halloween party Sunday at the Omaha Ronald McDonald House for its residents. The three students served dinner for attendees, and led games of bingo and Wii. Guests also watched a Scooby Doo Halloween video. Children went trick-or-treating at various stops in the Ronald McDonald House and received candy and toys.

More than 100 people attended a toy shower for the Ronald McDonald House Sunday.

The shower was sponsored by Ronald’s Helpers, the service league of Ronald McDonald House Charities in Omaha. Guests toured the Ronald McDonald House, learned more about the service league and enjoyed refreshments. Ronald McDonald was a special guest.

Toys donated by guests will be used to restock the toy room at the Ronald McDonald House.

Aletha Buck is someone who defines determination. Buck, along with members of the Shelby, Iowa, American Legion Auxiliary Unit 240 have reached a new echelon. Their concentrated efforts have brought in more than 7 million aluminum can tabs for Ronald McDonald House Charities in Omaha.

Students from Duchense Academy visited the Ronald McDonald House Charities last week. However, last week was not an ordinary school group tour. Art students of Jo Bielenberg stopped by to showcase and install artwork they created to donate. Both canvas art and photography works were donated by the students.

“These thoughtful and masterful pieces of art add calmness and serenity to our family rooms,” said Paul Garcia, program coordinator for the Ronald McDonald House Charities in Omaha. Artwork was added to five different family rooms throughout the Ronald McDonald House.

The weather-shortened 14th annual Ronald McDonald House Golf Tournament, held May 3 at Champions Run in Omaha, drew a full field of 144 golfers.

The team of Dave Potter, Daryl Wittstruck, Bob Carlisle and Keith Basham captured first place in the event, which ended early because of lightning. The team of Harold Cliff, Mike Unger, Doug Pick and Chris Kircher finished second.

McDonald’s restaurants served as title sponsor, with Southwest Airlines serving as presenting sponsor.

The Dancing with the Omaha Stars event was a huge success. This event featured 11 local celebrities who were paired with professional dance instructors. Each couple showcased a unique dance ranging from Cha-cha to Tango.

This event took place on Saturday, January 16th and was hosted by Omaha Ballroom. Owner, Elizabeth Edwards, donated all proceeds from this event to the Ronald McDonald House. The evening raised over $7,000.

The 2008 RMHC Omaha annual report, “Thanks for Lending a Hand,” received an award of merit from the Public Relations Society of America Nebraska Chapter.

Credit a popular television show for giving a 10-year-old girl the idea to have a lemonade stand to benefit the Ronald McDonald House.

Olivia, a fifth-grader, was watching “John and Kate Plus Eight” and saw that the family hosted a garage sale to benefit a Ronald McDonald House in another state.

Olivia, along with her 7-year-old brother, Michael, had the lemonade stand during a nine-day stay with their grandparents in Council Bluffs.

Click here to learn about the latest accomplishment of Blair Arbor Park Middle School.  This is the only school in the state of Nebraska to collect over five million pop-tabs to benefit the Ronald McDonald House.