Here’s what happened in 2009!

Check out these events that took place throughout the Greater Philadelphia Region:

Here’s what happened in December!

2009-2010 RMHC^® Scholarship Applications Now Available!

RMHC of the Philadelphia Region, Inc. grants approximately $70,000 each year to college-bound high school seniors from the Greater Philadelphia area (click here to see eligible counties) based on demonstrated academic achievement, financial need and community involvement. The local RMHC Scholarship is comprised of three individual programs: the RMHC Scholars^® program; the RMHC/Future Achievers^® program for African American high school seniors; and the RMHC/Hispanic American Commitment to Educational Resources^® (HACER^®) program for Latino high school seniors. Fifteen (15) total scholarships are awarded for each program, two (2) at $5,000 and thirteen (13) at $1,000.

Applicants will be asked to submit a high school transcript, a letter of recommendation and a personal statement detailing their background and community involvement. The scholarship deadline is February 16, 2010. To download an application or apply online, visit www.RMHC.org. For additional information, please call the Scholarship hotline at 215-790-4320.

Dental Care for Qualified Kids Ages 3-8 at No Cost to Families

The St. Christopher’s Foundation for Children Ronald® McDonald Care Mobile – a two-chair clinic on wheels that provides diagnostic, preventative and restorative dental care to qualified children ages three to eight at no cost to their families – is still accepting appointments for future dates. Please call (215) 427-4645 to set up an appointment.

Care includes examinations, cleanings, fluoride and sealant treatments, x-rays and fillings. Care Mobile staff will also provide children with oral hygiene instruction. Complicated treatment will be referred. Children qualify for the program if their families are unable to find a Medicaid provider or cannot afford to pay for dental services.

Here’s what happened in November!

Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House^® 35th Anniversary Birthday Party at the Please Touch Museum

On November 6, the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House hosted a birthday celebration at the Please Touch Museum to honor the 35th Anniversary of the Ronald McDonald House Program. The event featured food, dancing, exhibitions and a ceremony at which the House presented the Dr. Audrey E. Evans Award of Excellence. There were raffles for prizes, and Ronald McDonald^® was on-hand for the festivities.

McHappy Day^®

McHappy Day® is McDonald’s signature global fundraising event for children and families in need in local communities across the United States and around the world. From November 10 – 20, customers were able to show their support for RMHC through the “Give A Hand^®” in-restaurant fundraiser. For each paper hand sold, $1 went towards supporting RMHC. On November 20, participating U.S. restaurants donated $1 from the sale of all breakfast Extra Value Meals and beef sandwich Extra Value Meals to RMHC. 

Locally, McDonald's® Restaurants of the Greater Philadelphia Region celebrated McHappy Day at various restaurant locations with visits from different children's organizations like The Discovery Learning Center (see photo below). The children joined Ronald McDonald in decorating hand-shaped cards to help make families staying at the local Ronald McDonald Houses "McHappy."

For more information about McHappy Day, please visit www.RMHC.org

Here’s what happened in October!

McDonald’s Bilingual College Workshop Comes to Philadelphia

On Wednesday, October 14th, McDonald’s and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund held a Bilingual College Workshop at Edison High School to provide parents and students with essential information on how to navigate the college application process. The evening’s activities included seminars on managing the application process, applying for financial aid and researching scholarships, such as the RMHC^®/HACER^® Scholarship Program. The evening also included a college fair featuring area community colleges and four-year universities. Free dinner was served, along with the chance to win raffle prizes!

Hispanic Choice Awards

The Hispanic Choice Awards honors and celebrates Pennsylvania, New Jersey & Delaware’s favorite Hispanic people, organizations and businesses as chosen by its community in a variety of categories. The event promotes professional, personal and cultural achievements for Latinos living and working in this area. In 2009, the event took place on Tuesday, October 13, at the Kimmel Center.

Here’s what happened in September!

Tour de Fitness

McDonald’s Restaurants of the Greater Philadelphia Region and Bike Line Corporation co-sponsored the third annual Ronald McDonald Tour de Fitness, which featured Ronald McDonald biking to twelve elementary schools throughout the region, where he met with more than 4,500 students in an effort to generate greater awareness for bike safety and leading balanced, active lifestyles.

At each school Ronald McDonald and friends used music, magic and games to teach students that being active and making healthy choices can be easy, fun and safe. McDonald's also donated $1,000 to each school’s physical education program. The four-city Tour was held throughout September in Allentown, Pa.; Philadelphia; Atlantic City, NJ; and Wilmington, Del.

Midnight Gaming Championship

The Midnight Gaming Championship was a McDonald’s-sponsored, all-night video gaming event where gamers met to compete for prizes and bragging rights, and to sample McCafé and Angus Burgers.

For more information, visit www.midnightgamingchampionship.com.

Here’s what happened in August!

McCafé

To celebrate the launch of McDonald’s^® new line of espresso-based McCafé specialty coffee beverages, McDonald’s Restaurants of the Greater Philadelphia Region hosted several events this summer.

Free Mocha Mondays, July 13 thru August 3

Participating McDonald’s Restaurants of the Greater Philadelphia Region hosted “Free Mocha Mondays” through August 3, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., during which the restaurants offered one free 7-oz. McCafé Iced Mocha or one free 8-oz. McCafé Hot Mocha beverage per customer while supplies lasted.

McDonald’s McCafé Mochas are a decadent medley of espresso, whole or non-fat steamed milk and chocolate syrup, topped with a crown of whipped cream and ribbon of chocolate syrup – available hot or iced.

McCafé at the Please Touch Museum’s Kindergarten Mixer

McDonald’s distributed coupons for a FREE McCafé (for adults) and Apple Dippers (for the kids) at the Please Touch Museum’s Kindergarten Mixer on Saturday, August 8, from 4:30-7:30 p.m. The Please Touch Museum is located at 4231 Avenue of the Republic in Philadelphia. For more information about the museum, please visit pleasetouchmuseum.org

McDonald’s Community Ambassadors

As part of McDonald’s Community Ambassadors’ program, local McDonald’s Owner/Operators and Crew throughout the Greater Philadelphia Region performed garden maintenance and other community improvement work at a neighborhood near you. We’re proud to be “at work” in our community! For more information about the program, contact Kate Weissman at (215) 790-4392.

New! McDonald’s Angus Third Pounder

McDonald's customers have three juicy reasons to visit McDonald’s Restaurants of the Greater Philadelphia Region with the arrival of the Angus Third Pounder, McDonald’s newest menu addition. Customers can choose from three varieties of the Angus Third Pounder including the Deluxe, Bacon & Cheese, and Mushroom & Swiss.