The Garza Family from San Benito, Texas

Photography by JFR-Photography.com

5 Core Programs

7 RMHC Accomplishments

8 House Statistics

10 Life at RMHC South FloridaFamily Stories

11 RMHC 2015 Financials

12 Volunteer Program

14 Signature Charity Events

16 Donors in Action

17 Operation Build: “Labor of Love” project

18 Grants

19 Our Impact: Scholarships

20 Our friends, Our donors

Dear Donors, Friends, Supporters & Volunteers:

RMHC was founded on the idea that there is strength in numbers. Families find strength from each other, from RMHC staff and from volunteers. And thanks to all of you, more families will find strength so their children can be strong enough to heal.

In South Florida, RMHC has been committed to serving the community and visitors for more than 33 years, having helped more than 28,000 families in Miami-Dade and Broward houses to date. Ronald McDonald House Charities® of South Florida is committed to seeing children and their families thrive.

And because of our community’s support of RMHC of South Florida, a well-rested mother can be at her son’s bedside to make informed decisions with his medical team; an older brother can help distract his sick sister with fun and play; a worried father can relax while telling his child a bedtime story. When a child must be hospitalized, it is moments like these that bring relief from the pain and reduce family stress. RMHC helps keep families close—for serious moments and commonplace experiences—when they have a sick child.

RMHC is known for its houses; helping alleviate some of that anxiety by providing lodging meals and comfort to families when their child is diagnosed with a life-threatening disease or illness. But our organization does so much more than that within our community by also providing scholarships to deserving students as they pursue their educational goals and, this year, 21 students received financial assistance that will help them achieve their dreams.

Through our 2015 Annual Report, we aim to showcase all of the hard-working contributors to RMHC, as well as the remarkable people that benefit from it, like the Simpson and Rubirosa families.

As we support children and their families, we cherish the support that our community gives to us. From our dedicated staff and the local business community, to our amazing volunteers and our medical community – all have devoted time and resources to improve and change children’s lives.

On behalf of the entire RMHC family, we thank you for your passion and commitment to children and ask for your continued support as we strive to respond to the pressing needs of children and families.

Sincerely,

R E F L E C T I O N S O N 2 0 1 5

Soraya Rivera-MoyaExecutive Director

Alex RodriguezPresident

Ronald McDonald House:

The Ronald McDonald House offers families a place to call home

while their child is receiving critical medical treatment in area

hospitals. For 32 years, our Ronald McDonald Houses have

provided a “home-away-from-home” for 28,000 pediatric families

in need of comfort and care during a challenging time. Annually,

more than 500 families come through our doors, looking for a

warm place to rest their head and find solace. In South Florida, we

have two houses: one in Ft. Lauderdale on the grounds of Broward

Health and Chris Evert Children’s Hospital and one in Miami on the

grounds of Jackson Memorial Medical Center.

Scholarships:

RMHC offers graduating high school seniors a road to success with

Ronald McDonald House Charities scholarships. Since the mid-

1990s, our chapter has awarded these scholarships to deserving

Hispanic and African-American students through our two programs,

HACER® and Future Achievers. We also award one outstanding

student the scholarship regardless of race, color, creed, religion,

gender, disability or national origin. In 2015, we awarded $42,000

in scholarships to 21 hardworking students.

Grants:

Three times a year, RMHC funds other non-profit organizations

committed to improving the lives of children in four South Florida’s

counties: Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe, and Palm Beach. Funds

for the grants are generated solely from canister collections in

McDonald’s restaurants, Walgreens stores throughout South Florida

and matching funds received from Global RMHC. In 2015, nearly

$280,000 was awarded to more than 17 non-profit organizations

throughout South Florida.

w w w . R M H C S o u t h F l o r i d a . o r g1 - 8 7 7 - R M H C - 7 3 5 ( 7 6 4 - 2 7 3 5 )

Ronald Mc Donald House of Miami 1145 NW 14th Terrace, Miami, FL 33136

Ronald Mc Donald House of Fort Lauderdale15 SE 15th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

Executive DirectorSoraya Rivera-Moyasoraya@rmhcsouthflorida.org

Director of House OperationsFlora Nwalupueflora@rmhcsouthflorida.org

Volunteer Program &Special Events Coordinator Veronica Forteveronica@rmhcsouthflorida.org

Development ManagerKatiuska Carrascokatiuska@rmhcsouthflorida.org

Ronald McDonald House Miami

House ManagerVanessa Carrenovanessa@rmhcsouthflorida.org

Assistant House ManagerJorge Jimenez Jorge@rmhcsouthflorida.org

Ronald McDonald HouseFort Lauderdale

Assistant House ManagerSara Hand Sara@rmhcsouthflorida.org

Administrative AssistantAyisha Etaninfo@rmhcsouthflorida.org

Relief Managers /Weekend ManagersOsvaldo Perez, Ariel RodriguezShanna Olawale, Gicelle GuardiaDonna Walker, Luis Somoza

W H AT W E D OOur Mission Is Carried Out Through Three Core Programs

54Trinity from Belle Glade, Florida

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This is the house

where families meet

to continue their lives,

to eat and sleep,

to find their strenghs,

and dry their tears,

to look forward with hope

to better years.

This is the house

that becomes their home.

This is the house

that love built.

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F A M I LY S T O R I E S R M H C F I N A N C I A L S 2 0 1 5Rubirosa Family Stor y

Three years ago my son, Hugo Rubirosa, was a hero on the wrestling mat. A junior at Jacksonville High School, he was one of the top 152-pound wrestlers in the area. A superb natural athlete, Hugo won most of his matches by pin and did it with a flair that made watching his bout alone worth the price of admission. But a freak injury put a sudden end to his march to a state championship. Hugo became paralyzed doing what he loved most, during a high school wrestling match in January of 2012. Due in large part to his wonderfully positive attitude and his physical strength, he has made incredible progress since that fateful day. Because of his physical and emotional strength combined with his drive to overcome the odds, Hugo has become a hero to those with similar disabilities, and an inspiration to many others, including myself. My family has stayed at multiple Ronald McDonald houses over the course of the last four years of doctor visits and therapy sessions but feel a special bond to the Ronald McDonald House in Fort Lauderdale. This incredible place was where we called home while Hugo boldly assisted doctors in South Florida in an effort to try to find a cure for paralysis. Ronald McDonald House has been my family’s home away from home, and we can’t thank you enough for providing us with meals, entertainment, security, comfort, and an incredible amount of support day in and day out. We are forever grateful to RMHC for helping to provide not only Hugo, but our family with support and care through this difficult journey.

- Maria and Hugo Rubirosa

67

Simpson Family Stor y

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was during an ultrasound that the doctor informed me that my baby would be born with Spina Bifida. So many emotions and questions filled my mind. And in midst of this overwhelming moment, the Holtz Children’s Hospital referred me to Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Florida, and all I knew was that they would provide us with a safe place to stay. Even though I was hurt and shocked, I did not worry as I knew that God always has a plan and RMHC would provide the safe haven I needed to get through it all. Once I had the baby, RMHC welcomed me with open arms. They gave me a card and balloons upon arrival, which will always be a special memory for me. Feeling that type of love and support from complete strangers upon meeting and during some of the most difficult days of my life meant everything. Staying at RMHC helped me to have access to my baby at all times, 24/7. My family was able to visit us and we appreciated the food that was donated daily from the amazing volunteers within the South Florida community. I realized then how appreciative I was to now be a part of the RMHC family, who truly made our lives easier during the hardest of times. The RMHC staff was the most helpful, working out all the details surrounding my family’s stay at RMHC and being there to share in my most happy and saddest of times. The support I received is invaluable and will forever be appreciated.

- Jordyn Simpson

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of pop tabs. Overall, RMHC collected more than 10,000 pounds of

tabs from 46 participating schools, generating more than $5,000

in funds to support RMHC. Ronald McDonald visited the winning

school to present them with a grand prize and special recognition

for their continued support.

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Each year, RMHC of South Florida partners with local schools

in Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties to

help raise money for the charity and also learn the importance

of recycling. This year, elementary schools from all over South

Florida were invited to join in on the annual Tab-a-Thon Contest

where the pop tabs collected at the end of the contest get turned

into a recycling center for a monetary compensation. For the

second year in a row, Quiet Waters Elementary School in

Deerfield Beach took the first-place prize collecting 210 pounds

TWELVE GOOD MEN LUNCHEON

More than 300 people attended the 23rd

annual Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC)

of South Florida Twelve Good Men luncheon held at

Jungle Island. At this event, RMHC of South Florida honors leading men with a history

of outstanding community involvement, civic service, and involvement in one or more

of South Florida’s charity organizations. Honorees are first nominated by former 12

Good Men award recipients and then the event committee members select their 12

finalists. This year’s event raised about $60,000 to benefit children and families

staying at the House That Love Built®”.

For the second year in a row, McDonald’s restaurants of South Florida and its customers joined efforts to support RMHC during the “Hearts for the House” campaign. During the month of February, customers purchased $1, $3 and $5 paper hearts which were displayed in the lobby of every restaurant. These gracious donations raised more than $121,000 for RMHC of South Florida. A huge thank you to McDonald’s employees and customers for making a difference!

During a two week period, Walgreens created the campaign “Family Fundraising Drive” to benefit RMHC of South Florida. Employees asked customers to donate $1, $3 or $5 dollars and during this campaign more than $95,000 was raised. The enthusiasm and dedication of Walgreens employees made this a successful campaign, and we truly thank Walgreens and everyone involved in this amazing effort for the continued support!

RMHC of South Florida welcomed the South Florida

community to help spread the love last holiday season with

the 12th Annual Home for the Holidays event planned to

be held on December 5, 2015. The annual event features

a lighting ceremony where each light represents a one

night stay for a family in need. This year’s Home for the

Holidays was to be hosted by Shyann Malone, Channel

10 news anchor. Each year, the event is open to the local

South Florida community, and this year, we were excited

to welcome the community to enjoy house tours, a raffle

and silent auction, live entertainment featuring DJ Shi-B (a

former RMHC house guest), culinary delights from South

Florida’s favorite restaurants, kid activities, gift vendors

and a visit from Ronald McDonald himself. Unfortunately,

this year’s event was cancelled due to unforeseen weather

conditions. That said, the event still raised more than

$25,000 for the charity.

Last summer, Operation Build, a renovation TV show featured Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Florida in a 4-part mini-series that aired on August 22, 2015. The series entitled “Creating a Home Away From Home, Labor of Love Makeover” centered on the renovation journey of the Fort Lauderdale house while also highlighting four different stories of families with seriously ill children who have found solace in staying at the Ronald McDonald House during difficult times.

Over the course of the makeover process, the team of roughly 30 crew members and volunteers focused efforts first on adding modern touches to the kitchen and dining area, with hopes to provide the RMHC families with a comfortable area to come home to after long, stressful days at the hospital. The full renovation resulted in more storage space, modernization of the guest rooms, new flooring and updating of the house’s technology.

Additionally, the series also focused on four families and their touching stories of how the House has played a pivotal role in their child’s recovery process. Featured families shared personal first-hand experiences with RMHC which all exemplify the importance of how much this “Labor of Love” makeover means to the South Florida community.

HISTORY CHANNEL’S OPERATION BUILD TV PARTNERS WITH RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES OF SOUTH FLORIDA FOR “LABOR OF LOVE” MAKEOVER

“To be given the opportunity to receive such a

special gift from Operation Build is priceless,” said Soraya Rivera-Moya, Executive Director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Florida. “We have enjoyed being a part of this process and reveled in watching the production crew members, TV hosts and volunteers dedicated passion as they volunteer time and effort to help makeover our Fort Lauderdale house for all of our RMHC families. This has truly been a labor of love and we are forever grateful.”

“This is a project that is very special for all of us here at Insight Television Productions,” said Lysa Liemer, Executive Producer of Operation Build. “For all the hard work we do around the country, this is a particularly exceptional opportunity for us to be part of; to be able to work on something so close to home and embark upon a project right here in our own backyard that is so close to our hearts is invaluable.”

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D O N O R S I N A C T I O N

Fisherama Tournament

Miami Auto Show

Ladies Fish Off Tournament McDonald’s Corporation

Tropical Financial Credit UnionDillard’s

Yelp

EZ Corporation

G R A N T S

RMHC has donated more than $4.8 million to differentSouth Florida children’s organizations, including nearly

$245,000 in 2015.

Caridad Center$25,000

Crystal Academy Primary School$30,000

En Familia$17,400

Girl Scout Council of Tropical South Florida$5,000

God’s Little Acres $10,000

Good Hope Equestrian Training Center$10,000

Grandma’s Place$25,000

Kids in Distress$10,000

Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired

$25,000

Palm Beach County Sports Commission$20,000

Place of Hope, Inc.$22,300

University of Miami Pediatric Mobile Unit$25,000

YMCA of the Treasure Coast$10,540

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Students across the country work hard to earn top marks, dreaming

of the college they’ll attend and the education they’ll receive.

Unfortunately, many of these students won’t be able to afford it.

We want these students to reach their full potential. To help them

accomplish this, and as part of our unwavering dedication to

South Florida’s youth, RMHC has annually provided college

scholarships to high school seniors within our community who

have demonstrated academic achievement, leadership and

community involvement.

Since the mid-1990s, RMHC has awarded these scholarships

to both Hispanic (HACER) and African-American (Future

Achievers) students in South Florida seeking higher education.

S C H O L A R S H I P S

In 2015, RMHC awarded 21 South Florida high school seniors

who have each demonstrated excellent academic achievement

and community involvement a $2,000 scholarship to be

utilized towards their college tuition. These outstanding recipients

were honored at a scholarship ceremony.

Through the organization’s two minority scholarship programs,

HACER and Future Achievers, RMHC awarded 10 students

from the South Florida Hispanic community and 9 students from

the South Florida African American community with scholarships

that will help them achieve their dreams. An additional exceptional

high school student was selected to receive the Scholar Award

regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, disability or

national origin.

HELPING STUDENTS AFFORD THE EDUCATION OF THEIR DREAMS

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Hispanic American Commitment to Educational

Resources (HACER) was established nationally in

1985 by a McDonald’s franchisee named Richard

Castro to address the low rate of college matriculation

by Hispanic high school students.

ABOUT HAC ER

ABOUT FUTURE AC HIEVER SSince 1986, Future Achievers and its predecessor scholarship

program, Black History Makers of Tomorrow, have awarded

more than 7,500 African-American students with more than

$3 million dollars nationwide. The program began as a

way to make education a priority and to support the future of

young, African-American professionals within the community.

Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Grandma’s Place Inc.

Crystal Academy

Good Hope Equestrian Training Center

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Paul and Marylou Adams

Mikkie Belvedere

Besnard & Associates Insurance

Broward Health

Thomas J. Canzano

Patricia Carter

Dorothy and Paul Cassidy

Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Cochran

Coldwell Banker

Concannon Wealth Management

Concannon, Miller & Co., P.C.

James Crongeyer

Doris Cynamon

Dania Beach Scrap Metals & Recycling, Inc.

Daszkal Bolton LLP

Mr. Jesus Del Rio

Dreyfuss Family

EMC 2 CorporationJon Van Brackle

Mrs. and Mr. Nancy Engels

Spencer Errickson

Buzz Fleischman

Fortin, Leavy, Skiles, Inc.

Franklin Templeton Investments, Inc.

Future Energy Solutions

Karen Galloway

Georgia Pacific

Richard and Jane Packer Gerber

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Hadvab

Maurice and Jean Hawa

Ms. Helga Garces

The Household of Kenneth HokeKenneth Hoke

Bill and Donna Hudson Bill and Donna Hudson

Isle Casino Pompano

Jack R. Loving, P.A.

Jagarnauth FamilyVivian Jesus

Junior League of Greater Fort LauderdaleMrs. Linda Chappell

Kidz Korner

Kirwan & Spellacy, PARich Kraemer

Lauderdale BMW

Rhonda Leon

Ms. Peggy McCoy

Antonio F. Mendoza

Messengers of the Peace, Inc.Ms. Maria Rosa Lopez Munoz

National Jets

Mr. and Mrs. Morton Notarius, M.D.

Oakland Park KiwanisDennis Buchta

Martha Plut

Carolyn and David Price

Subhash and Vasanti Puranik

Rich and Denise Restaino

Rio Vista Management Group, Inc

Ron Jon Surf Shop

Angie and Joseph Ryan

Renee and Connor Salley

Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Schinder

Mr. Joseph Sciortino

The Household of Anthony SeguinoAnthony Seguino

Karen Sheehan

Shred Monkey Corp.

Burt Silverstein

Ms. Lorraine Simkowitz

Mr. and Mrs. Steven Smyczynski

Southern Gear & Machine, Inc.

Mrs. Elizabeth Suero

Matthew D. Sullivan

Sun Sentinel

The Berenguer GroupThe Martin Brower Company

The W. Bradford Ingalls Charitable Foundation Trust

The Weilers

The Women’s ClubMrs. Ann LaPointe P

Rebecca Tiger

Turano Florida Bun, LLC

Turner Construction Company

Jackie and John VerburgVillage LandlordsBonnie Eichholtz

Village Landlords Fort LauderdaleMr. Bob Obenland

Nick VillarailSandra Hurtado

Amanda and Gary VillarsMarilyn Villars

Parker Warren Wartsila

Mrs. and Mr. Judith Zisook

TOTAL RECEIVED: $62,690.00

It costs approximately $90 a night to house a family at

the Ronald McDonald House. Families are only asked

to pay $20 a night donation to stay at the House. The

contributors and donors to this program ensure the

ongoing operations of the Ronald McDonald houses.

Monica and Rolando from Guayaquil, Ecuador

Donate today to support our families.Go online at www.rmhcsouthflorida.org

2 0 2 1

Active Network

Mr. Robert Alders

Alpha Delta Pi Gamma Delta Chapter

Diane Alvarez

Jennifer and Brad Ashlin

Christina Avila

Besnard and Associates Insurance

Puja Bhatia

Patricia Bohn

BRV Construction Services Inc.

Calusa Elementary School

Camino Del Matrimonio, inc

Challenger Elementary

Chapman PartnershipDaniel Vincent

Chrissy Cakes

Claude Pepper Elementary

Coconut Creek High School

Coldwell BankerCheryl Emanuel

Coldwell Banker Redidental Real Estate CaresMs. Cheryl Emanuel

Rosangela Conitzer

Mr. Larry Connor

Mr. and Mrs. J Douglas Cooper

Coral Cove Elementary

Dante B. Fassell Elementary School

James and Marilyn Davidheiser

Mark DresnickMark and Linda Dresnick

Driftwood Elementary Chris Dunham

Edward A. & Catherine L. Lozick Foundation EZCORP Foundation

Jonathan Fields, Mr.

FIJI WaterKathleen Fleischman

First United Methodist Church

Fisharama

Fleming & Fleming

FORESTERSJohn Curran

Mr. and Mrs. William Freund

Gap Foundation Gift Matching Program

Gator Iron & Metal Corp

John and Laurie Gayes

Gibraltar Private Bank &TrustJay Pelham

Phyllis and Murray Greenberg

Ahlbum Group

Mr. and Mrs. Rich Hadvab

Mr. John Hardin

Peter Heim, Mr.

Mr. and Mrs. Guillermo Helbig

Hellinger & Penabad Charitable Foundation Ms. Tiffany D Hendricks

Ms. Bridget Regina Higgins

Dr. Tyrone Hill

Hollywood Central

Mr. David Hover

Miguel Inda-Romero

Investor SolutionsRob Gordon

Ms. Cheryl Jackman

Mr. Mike Jean-Pierre

Jungle Island Gene Ann King

Mr. Dave Klawitter

Malcolm Kolpak

Ladies Fish - Off Tournament

Lakeshore Enterprises

Nicole Lamanda-Hernandez

Le Petit Papillon Montessori School

Legal Solutions Group, Inc.Marty E.

Mr. James Leo

The Levitan Family

The Lichtenfeld FamilyCarol and Bob Lichtenfeld

Ann Lieff

Lion Country Safari

Mrs. Cynthia E Lopez

Yeimilyn Lorenzo & Heather Otero-Taffur

Shirley and Robert Lyons

Mr. David MacEachern

Cindy Macomber

Margate Elementary

Mary Marits

Sally Markam

Lexi Masciarella

MAST Academy

Ms. Debbie Maxwell

Mr. Michael Mendes

Miami Childrens FoundationNse Essiet

Miami MarlinsAlfredo Mesa

Jennifer Monaco, Ms.

Nob Hill Elementary

Stephens S. Nuell, esq

Kenneth O’Farrell

Glenda Oliver

Omega PSI PHI Fraternity ETA NU Chapter

Ms. Ingrid Osorio

Pablo Sandoval Family Foundation

Mr. Eric A Peterson

Quiet Waters Elementary Catherine Massard Ribetti, Ms. Riverside Elementary

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Robbins

Mr. Nicholas Romanelli

Ron John Surf Shop

Ryder Systems, Inc.

SFMA - Smith & KnibbsAndrea Knibbs

Ms Shelley D. Shultis

Shutts and Bowen,LLP

Ms. Julie Simon

Joy Smith

South Florida Auto Dealers Associationz

Southern Gear & Machine Inc.Allan Arch

Scott and Diane Sprague

Faye Steiner

Terra Group

The Anne Samuels Estate Foundation

The Color Run, LLC

Mr. Darrel Thomas

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Thornton

Mr. Kristian Toimil

TRUIST Comprehensive Distribution

Iliana Ulfe

UNICEF @ FIU

United Way of Broward County Walgreens Co.

Waters Edge Elementary

Wells Fargo Community Support Campaign

Mr. Richard Werber

Westminster Academy

Mr. Thomas Whitman

Sheffield and Pod Janna Wolk

Wonderful Giving

YourCause,LLC

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Angelica and Gianella from Lima, Peru2 0 2 1

Alex RodriguezPresident

Ricky WadeVice President

Pete MenendezTreasurer

Rosangela DeMelloSecretary

Dan AshlinExcutive committee member

Trustees

Brad AshlinMcDonald’s

Joan BaucomMcDonald’s

Mike CastilloMc2 Advertising

Leslie PantínPantín/Beber Silverstein Group

Eric PetersonPeterson Bernard

Yoyi RodriquezMcDonald’s

Brent UpchurchMcDonald’s

Roy RipakWalgreens

Mark WatsonMcDonald’s

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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K’Jei and Kishna from US Virgin Islands