Harrington Raceway and Casino hosted a ‘Christmas in July’ donation drive that brought in more than 18 bulk pallet boxes filled with items to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware.
There were 1,373 customers that supported the July 10 supply drive, which was held from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. There was an overwhelming response of generosity in donated items that included various cleaning supplies, toys, toilet paper, napkins, paper towels, cooking pans, bed sets, pillows and much more.
Harrington Raceway and Casino’s Chief Operating Officer of Hospitality, Hank Rosenberg, is also a member of the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware’s Board of Directors.
“I am very fortunate to work for a company that gives so much back and stresses the importance of being involved in the local community,” said Rosenberg. “The largest area that the Ronald McDonald House services is lower Delaware. I have been on the lower Delaware advisory board for five years and was recently honoured when asked to serve on the board of directors. Every nonprofit in the country is facing budgetary challenges and the thousands of dollars in supplies that we collected will be a great help to the house. I am so appreciative of the casino for putting on this promotion and the almost 1,400 people that came out to support the Ronald McDonald House.”
Approximately 37 per cent of the families serviced by Ronald McDonald House of Delaware live in Kent and Sussex Counties.
Laura Marek, Southern Delaware Advancement officer for the Ronald McDonald House, was an active participant in the event.
"The Ronald McDonald House of Delaware is incredibly grateful to the Harrington Raceway & Casino for holding this Wish List Drive,” said Marek. “We are overwhelmed and humbled by the response of the many kind and caring individuals in the community. The donated household items will help families who call the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware their ‘home away from home’ when they have a seriously or chronically ill or injured child in the hospital.”
Wal-Mart also played a pivotal role in the event by providing significant resources to transport the donated items.
Harrington Raceway and Casino has hosted similar events for a variety of charitable causes in the past, with the most recent beneficiaries being the Food Bank of Delaware, First State Animal Center and SPCA, and Toys for Tots.
The Ronald McDonald House of Delaware provides a safe and affordable ‘home away from home’ to families of seriously or chronically ill or injured children who are being treated at area hospitals and operates three Ronald McDonald family rooms within pediatric units of hospitals across Delaware.
For more information on the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware, please visit rmhde.org.
(Harrington Raceway)