Canadians Unite by Pledging to Support Thousands of Local Families and their Children in Need

McDonald’s Canada celebrates 25th annual McHappy Day® tomorrow

TORONTO May 1, 2018 – Canadians from coast-to-coast have been pledging their support for tomorrow’s 25th McHappy Day®, a one-day celebration that brings together employees, guests, suppliers and local communities to raise money for children in need across Canada.

On McHappy Day, $1 from every Big Mac®, Happy Meal® and any hot McCafé® beverage sold goes to Ronald McDonald House® and children’s charities across the country.

Canadians and notable media personalities supported publicly on social media using the hashtag #McHappyDay how they plan to support this year. From pledging to purchase coffee for their entire office, to promising to order Big Macs for their neighbours through McDelivery™ with Uber Eats, Canadians have rallied to unite and help families in need on McHappy Day.

As part of tomorrow’s one-day celebrations athletes, local dignitaries and celebrities will be working hand-in-hand with McDonald's restaurant crew and franchisees to raise donations. Guests can also support families through a $1 McHappy Day donation button that will appear on all self-order kiosks in restaurants and can order McHappy Day menu items through McDelivery™ with Uber Eats.

Visit any of the 1,400 McDonald’s restaurants from coast-to-coast on May 2nd to give back and make a difference in the lives of families in your community. 

Quotes:
"In 1977, McHappy Day paved the way for the first Ronald McDonald House in Canada and it’s been remarkable to see what has been achieved and how many families have been helped over the past 25 years because of this annual event,” says George Cohon, founder of McDonald’s Canada. “I’m so thrilled to see people continuing to pledge their support which is a true testimony to the impact that McHappy Day has on Canadian families.”

“Remarkably, 70% of Canadians live outside a city with a children’s hospital. So, when a child gets sick and needs to be hospitalized, families often have to travel hundreds of kilometers for treatment and support,” said Cathy Loblaw, President and CEO, Ronald McDonald House Charities® Canada (RMHC®). ”The overwhelming support from communities across the country on McHappy Day, makes it possible for families to stay close to their sick child at Ronald McDonald Houses and Ronald McDonald Family Rooms across Canada. We are deeply grateful, thank you.”

Facts:

• McHappy Day is McDonald’s Canada largest charity-driven program
• Established in 1977 by McDonald’s Canada founder George Cohon, McHappy Day has helped raise more than $66 million for Ronald McDonald House Charities and other local charities
• Today, and every day, a family in need of support arrives on a RMHC doorstep in Canada every 20 minutes. Last year alone, 2,282 families were turned away due to lack of space – that’s an average of six families turned away, each and every day
• McHappy Day supports local children’s charities, as well as 16 Family Rooms and 15 Ronald McDonald’s Houses across Canada that together, provide comfort and care to more than 26,000 families each year as their children are treated at a nearby hospital.

Follow the story online and share who you're making happy this year with #McHappyDay. Click to watch a short video about the impact RMHC has on families.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities® Canada (RMHC® CANADA)
The RMHC network of programs in Canada helps to keep more than 25,000 families close to their sick child and the care they need each year. The 15 Ronald McDonald Houses provide out-of-town families with a home to stay at while their child is being treated at a nearby hospital, while the 16 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms provide a comfortable place for families to rest and recharge, right inside hospitals. Through the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, basic medical care is available to underserved communities in Alberta.
As our founding and forever partner, and RMHC's largest donor, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited, their franchisees and guests, generously provide crucial support to families from more than 1,800 communities across Canada when their sick or injured child is staying at a nearby hospital. For more information visit www.rmhc.ca.

 About McDonald’s Canada
In 1967, Canadians welcomed the first McDonald's® restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited has become part of the Canadian fabric, serving close to three million guests every day. Together with our franchisees, we proudly employ nearly 100,000 people from coast-to-coast and approximately 90 per cent of McDonald's 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs. Of the almost $1 billion we spend on food, beverages and packaging, more than 85 per cent is purchased from over 100 suppliers in Canada.