About 1,200 volunteers hit the streets of San Diego Thursday with one big, bright shoe and one goal in mind: to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House through the “Red Shoe Day” fundraiser.
From 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., volunteers outfitted in bright clothing and costumes lined major intersections throughout the county collecting donations in a big, red clown shoe.
This includes Sixth District Councilmember Chris Cate who collected donations out at Mira Mesa Boulevard and Westview Parkway. Cate told NBC 7 commuters had been very generous and supportive throughout the morning, filling up his red shoe for the fundraiser.
Organizers said all donations for the 6th annual Red Shoe Day will go directly to supporting San Diego’s Ronald McDonald House, a facility located next to Rady Children’s Hospital that provides overnight rooms and support services for families who have a child undergoing treatment at the hospital.
Each day, an estimated 250 family members rely on the Ronald McDonald House for meals, nap rooms, laundry facilities and other comforts of home during an otherwise turbulent medical crisis. The facility also offers an onsite school for siblings of hospitalized children.
Chuck Day, president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego, said there are 47 rooms at the facility that are always being used. Each year, more than 50,000 people come through the Ronald McDonald House, he said.
Day said every cent raised via Red Shoe Day will go right back into keeping the facility running and doing what it does best for families in San Diego.
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“We know we’ve provided a chance for them to find respite – a break – to step away from what’s going on at the hospital next door. We know when families are close, their kids are going to get better faster. That’s one of the key things we try to do at the Ronald McDonald House,” Day told NBC 7.
Day said he was grateful to support from local volunteers, residents, sponsors and community leaders like Cate for participating in Thursday’s event.
Last year, Red Shoe Day raised more than $150,000, which equals about 1,000 nights of lodging at the facility.
Thursday's event wound up raising $166,000 for the Ronald McDonald House, organizers said.
If you’re like to make a donation, visit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego website, or donate at a San Diego County McDonald’s restaurant anytime.
