‘Red Shoe’ golf, gala aid McDonald House

Corey Bryant (left) and Chris Howe spend some time with their pal Ronald McDonald outside the Ronald McDonald House in Little Rock.
Corey Bryant (left) and Chris Howe spend some time with their pal Ronald McDonald outside the Ronald McDonald House in Little Rock.

— What do Dorothy Gale from Kansas and Ronald McDonald from McDonaldland have in common? Besides being iconic figures for American children, they have a similar taste in footwear. And, at least when it comes to the charity that bears Ronald’s name, they also share something else - a longing for home.

For the families at the Ronald McDonald House and the children across the street at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, it’s not as easy as clicking their heels and wishing they could go home.

The McDonald-Oz connection is highlighted even more at the Ronald McDonald House’s 19th annual fundraising Ronald McDonald Golf Classic and preview party: “A Red Shoe Affair: There’s No Place Like Our Home Away From Home.”

The party’s silent auction, in addition to auction items such as special trip packages and a number of pieces from James Avery Jewelry, will also have a little extra “kick.”

“We’re going to have a red shoe auction at the event,” says development and marketing coordinator Emily Piechocki. “People can wear red shoes, they can bid on red shoes.”

Last year’s theme was Golf and Glitz. This year, they’re going for something a bit more casual.

“It’s going to be a picnic theme, a Southern, traditional picnic,” event co-chairman Chris Howe says. “Barbecue, lemonade, a specialty drink.”

The next day, the golf teams will assemble at Pleasant Valley Country Club for the tournament.

Howe and fellow co-chairman Corey Bryant are golf enthusiasts who first became involved in the tournament last year, serving on the sponsor committee.

They’ll be taking part in the tournament, a four-person scramble format with two flights, one at 8 a.m. and one at 1 p.m. There will be quite a few prizes - including a new car - for which the players can compete.

Howe says that while many organizations have golf tournament fundraisers, “One thing that sets this apart is that it’s at Pleasant Valley, which is, arguably, the nicest course in the state next to Alotian. It’s a premier place to play.”

But it’s not all about a nice course and a fun party with ruby-red shoes.

“A lot of it has to do with the cause and what it’s there to support and what it’s about. That’s what it really revolves around,” Bryant says.

What it revolves around is Ronald McDonald House Charities.

The organization funds a mobile dental-care unit and the Ronald McDonald House itself.

When children are badly burned or need cancer treatment or an organ transplant, or infants are born prematurely and need special care, the best medical treatment can’t always be found close to home.

That means the parents have to travel. When treatment can take many months, a family can’t always afford a hotel room or a short-term apartment lease. That adds even more stress to an already stressful situation.

Families who live outside a 50-mile radius of Little Rock who have a sick child aged 21 or younger are eligible to stay at the 28-room Ronald McDonald House, where they receive a private bedroom and bathroom, meals and access to a kitchen, library, laundry facilities, common areas, a computer room and children’s play areas.

About 800 families are served every year and Piechocki says most of the parents who stay at the house are parents of premature infants.

Guests can donate $10 per night, but it’s not a requirement.

The services are invaluable for parents who already have a great deal to worry about.

“If you can imagine what it’s like to find out your child is sick and then find out you’re going to have to travel 200 or 300 miles to get the best care possible,” Piechocki says. “All the stress that compounds on that and then thinking about where you’re going to stay and how you’re going to pay for it and how long you’re going to be there.”

Bryant agrees.

“Being a father of two children, anytime they’re sick, that’s pretty much my priority. What the house does is it helps take the burden off about where they need to stay. These kids are dealing with extreme illnesses, sometimes deathly illnesses and that’s hard enough on a parent.”

It’s not just a great help from the standpoint of the logistics and finances, but also a great help for the sick children’s progress.

“I think it’s been proven that children [who] require this kind of care heal quicker when they have their family there with them,” Howe says.

Adds Bryant, “It provides a support system so the families can be there for their children when they need them most.”

It’s a personal cause for Bryant’s family. He explains that when his wife was a child, two of her brothers were severely burned over 70 percent of their bodies.

“They lived in Hardy and they actually stayed in the [Ronald McDonald] house. It’s a close-to-heart cause for my family.”

The house is not the only service the charity provides.

It also operates the Care Mobile, which provides free dental care and educational services to children in seven central Arkansas counties.

Piechocki explains, “They pick schools that have the greatest percentage of students on the free or reduced lunch program and so they basically try to target kids who wouldn’t otherwise have access to care.”

Last year, Howe says, “1,600 cavities were filled or fixed in that Care Mobile traveling around the state for kids who can’t afford to go to a dentist.”

Bryant adds, “A lot of them had never seen a dentist.”

The golf tournament and party together usually draw in about 300 attendees and the goal is to raise $150,000 for the house and Care Mobile.

“It’s got a big impact,” Howe says. “One team, $2,500, can make a big impact.

“You’ve got to remember the reason why everyone’s out there that day and the reason the organization exists is because not everyone’s fortunate enough to get the kind of care they need. And more importantly, to have their families beside them.”A Red Shoe Affair will be at 6 p.m. Aug. 19, followed by the golf tournament at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Aug. 20, both at Pleasant Valley Country Club. Party tickets are $50. The golf tournament is $2,500 per four person team. Call (501) 978-3119 or visit rmhclittlerock.org.

High Profile, Pages 35 on 07/29/2012

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