C.S. Mott, Ronald McDonald House celebrate partnership with Main Street festival Thursday
The new 12-room facility, depicted here in an artist's rendering, is one of only five such Ronald McDonald Houses within a children’s hospital in the world, according to the University of Michigan Health System. It will be located on the 10th floor of the new C.S. Mott Children's hospital, steps away from the intensive care units.
Photo courtesy of Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor
When the new C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital opens in November, it will include 12 private Ronald McDonald House rooms for the families of the hospital's most critically ill children.
To celebrate their latest partnership, C.S. Mott and the Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor are hosting Festival of Hope on Main Street in Ann Arbor Thursday, said Kim Kelly, executive director of Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor.
The event is 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Main and Liberty streets and includes music and free family-friendly entertainment, like face painting, crafts and balloon artists. Ronald McDonald will be on hand for photo options, Kelly said, and Matt Hunwick, a former U-M hockey player who is now a defenseman for the Colorado Avalanche, will sign autographs from 5:30 to 6 p.m. Donations collected will go toward the new Ronald McDonald House, but there is no admission fee, Kelly said.
The area will be closed to through traffic.
The existing house at 1600 Washington Heights opened 25 years ago. It’s right around the corner from C.S. Mott and serves about 600 families per year.
The new 12-room wing of the Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor will be opening in the fall as part of the $754 million University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospitals complex constructed adjacent to the U-M hospital.
A rendering of a common area in the new branch of the Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor,
Photo courtesy of Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor
The shell of the facility is complete and equipment and furnishings are being installed, Kelly said via e-mail Wednesday. Staff is working now to create the home-like atmosphere characteristic of the non-profit's houses.
“This house will feel more like a home than a hospital to give our families a relaxing environment to stay while their child is ill,” Kelly said.
To stay at a Ronald McDonald House, families need to live at least 40 miles away from the hospital and have a child undergoing treatment who is under 21. Ronald McDonald House asks for a $10-a-night donation, but families are never turned away if they can’t pay.
Juliana Keeping covers general assignment and health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter
Comments
Jake C
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 5:46 p.m.
I didn't see a link to the Festival of Hope's official Facebook event page, so here it is: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=189917114389238" rel='nofollow'>http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=189917114389238</a> I'm guessing it's on Main Street because there will be musical acts performing, and the organizers don't want to be seen as trying to "steal" visitors from TOtP. Plus a bunch of Main Street businesses are having special events to raise money for the charity -- wouldn't work the same to hold the event on campus.
Mousedeva
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 3:35 p.m.
I wonder why they chose the location of Main St to have this festival when the majority of folks will be near Top of the Park area. They should've done this on the diag to draw more people....