The J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation has issued a challenge grant of $1.2 million to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas if the organization can raise $900,000, a news release from the Ronald McDonald House said.
Construction is set to start on the new Ronald McDonald House on July 21, with plans for the Little Rock facility to triple in size, providing families a larger and more comfortable place to stay while their children are receiving medical treatment.
The five-story building near the entrance to Arkansas Children's House will include 32 bedroom suites, each with a private bath, queen-size bed and a sitting area. There will be a large kitchen and dining room, as well as laundry facilities, lactation rooms, family lounges and computer stations on each residential floor. Other amenities include indoor and outdoor play areas, a wellness garden, a tree house and a basketball half-court.
The Ronald McDonald House has raised more than $7.1 million of its $8 million goal so far, the news release said. The deadline for the challenge to be met is April 15. The organization will continue to raise funds throughout the construction process, which will take about 14 months.
The private J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation Inc., based in Tulsa, serves Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The Mabees formed the foundation in 1948 to aid Christian religious organizations, charitable organizations and institutions of higher learning, hospitals and other charitable organizations.
State Desk on 05/13/2015