History
Spokane's Ronald McDonald House opens with 14 guest rooms to provide a "Home-Away-From-Home" for families around the region seeking medical treatment in Spokane.
Dorothy Fowler dedicates her Bronze sculpture "The Strongest Bond" to Ronald McDonald House as a testament to the unfailing power of a mother's love.
Due to a growing wait list, RMHC INW undergoes an expansion that will add 8 guest rooms, including long-term suites for families with extended stays.
Sacred Heart Children's Hospital is completed, and 2 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms are opened to provide a place of rest and respite to families inside the hospital while their child receives care.
Ronald McDonald House launches the Care Mobile Unit in Central Washington as a joint venture with the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic.
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Spokane changes its name to Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Inland Northwest (RMHC INW).
RMHC INW opens the 8-bedroom Northern Idaho House on the campus of Kootanai Health in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho as well as the Walden House (housing for adult patients).
RMHC INW opens the Spokane Campus North House (across the street from the original house), adding 34 guest rooms, 10 of those rooms designed for long-term stays. The expansion brings the Spokane Campus' total guest rooms to 56 and eliminated the wait list.
Ronald McDonald House Global
The first Ronald McDonald House was opened in 1974 in Philadelphia, thanks to the vision of Dr. Audrey Evans, Philadelphia Eagles’ player Fred Hill (whose daughter, Kim, had leukemia), Leonard Tose, owner of the Eagles, Jim Murray, the Eagles’ general manager, and Ed Rensi, the McDonald’s regional manager.
Soon, communities nationwide recognized the need for comfortable lodging for families with sick kids, and Houses began being built across the country.
Although linked through an organizational affiliation and shared values, each House is independently financed and operated.
