The first House opened in 1974 in Philadelphia through the perseverance and dedication of Fred Hill, then a Philadelphia Eagles football player. After his daughter was treated for leukemia at the local children's hospital, Hill enlisted the help of his teammates and the local McDonald's restaurant franchises to raise funds to create a place for families with sick children. This effort was the beginning of the first Ronald McDonald House.

The Ronald McDonald House of Winston-Salem opened with 10 bedrooms on September 14, 1984. Its establishment was inspired by the son of Penny and Dick Latham, Alan, who died at three with cancer. To honor his memory and help other families, Penny and Dick convinced other parents of children with cancer to work with them to establish a home where parents could stay while their children were being treated for serious illnesses.

Through their efforts, the Rainbow House of Winston-Salem, Inc., was incorporated in February 1981. Many local merchants, civic groups, churches and individuals contributed to the effort, including the Kate B. Reynolds Health Care Trust, the Junior League of Winston-Salem, and the McDonald's family. The support of McDonald's led the project to be renamed the Ronald McDonald House. In 1997, the House expanded with the addition of seven new bedrooms and several common areas. In 2002, the Ronald McDonald House Family Room, a respite room for adults, opened in Brenner Children's Hospital at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. In 2008, the second Family Room in Winston-Salem opened at Forsyth Medical Center.

EXPANSION
Ronald McDonald House of Winston-Salem, Inc. is undergoing an expansion project to more than double the size of our current House! We are opening an additional 18,000 square feet to accommodate 18 more bedrooms! This means we will be able to serve almost 700 more families each year!

The project is underway and we expect to open the expanded facility in September 2010. This is an exciting time in the history of the Ronald McDonald House and we'd love for you to come by for a "Tool Belt Tour" of the construction. Please contact Director of Development at (336) 723-0228 x1012 or email her at MindyB@rmhwinstonsalem.org to set up a tour.

Click here to see the rendering of our expansion.

View a video about the house