Phoenix’s first Ronald McDonald House

Ronald McDonald House Turns 25

When Gus Kapellas moved from Chicago to Phoenix to open a McDonald’s restaurant franchise, he was stumped over why the city didn’t have a Ronald McDonald House like his hometown did. So Junior Leaguers Judy Schubert and Suzanne Hanson ran with the idea, and 25 years later, the city boasts two houses that have served more than 30,000 families from around Arizona and the world.

The families’ stories are largely the same: An ill child needs medical care at hospitals like Phoenix Children’s Hospital or Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, and family members need a place to stay nearby. So they “check in’’ to one of the Ronald McDonald houses for shelter, meals and other support. Ill children can stay there too if they don’t need hospitalization but are undergoing a treatment like chemotherapy.

The organization has come a long way. The first Ronald McDonald House in Phoenix opened in 1985 in a residential neighborhood near Seventh Street and Thomas Road. After two expansions, it has grown from 16 rooms to 45. In 2008, an 18-room house opened at Phoenix Children’s Hospital near 18th Street and Thomas Road.
 
The organization doesn’t appear to be slowing down. Says executive director Nancy Roach, “Our future has possibilities for expansion in order to help the families who need us the most.’’