Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Celebrates 25th Anniversary with 25 Days of Giving
October 19, 2017 – London, ON – Ronald McDonald House received a cheque today for $5,000 from Gateway Casinos London as part of GatewayGIVES’ 25 Days of Giving in celebration of Gateway’s 25th anniversary in the business of entertainment.
GatewayGIVES is the corporate giving and community engagement program of Gateway Casinos. The 25 Days of Giving campaign will contribute $5,000 to a worthy local charity selected by employees, in each of the communities where Gateway operates. At the end of the October campaign, GatewayGIVES will have donated a total of $125,000 to the deserving, employee-selected, charities across Canada.
Gateway has dedicated the month of October to celebrate its silver anniversary with customers, communities and employees. As part of the festivities they launched the 25 Days of Giving campaign through GatewayGIVES and are letting their employees select the charity of their choice in the communities where they live and work.
Ronald McDonald House was selected in recognition of its ongoing work in assisting families with children who have a serious illness that requires them to leave home for often extended periods of time to receive medical treatment. Ronald McDonald House, London is a place where out-of-town families can stay for as long as they need – only 165 steps from Children’s Hospital, London Health Science Centre. For just $10 a night families can access things like a private room and bath, homemade dinners, laundry facilities and all the other comforts of home.
“It is a tremendous gift for Ronald McDonald House Southwestern Ontario to receive this kind of support and recognition from a company whose employees have experienced first-hand the benefits of a Ronald McDonald House and a Ronald McDonald Family Room. Last year the London house kept 1,168 families close to their sick children providing over 12,870 nights of comfort. The house gives families the gift of time- allowing them to focus all of their energy on their child, while staff and volunteers provide all the comforts of home just steps away from their sick child. Caring for the caregivers is a big part of what we do and it is the support of companies like Gateway that allow us to do this important work,” said Tracey Keighley-Clarke, CEO, Ronald McDonald House Southwestern Ontario.
“Ronald McDonald House has touched the lives of so many Gateway Casinos’ families; it wasn’t surprising at all that they were chosen by our employees to receive this donation. Our GatewayGIVES program is an important part of how we contribute to our community, and we are pleased to be able to present this gift as part of our 25th anniversary celebration. Ronald McDonald House makes it possible for families to be together while they get much needed medical care, we are extremely lucky to have them in our community,” said Damien de Roux, General Manager, Gateway Casinos London
Gateway employees tell their own stories why they choose Ronald McDonald House …
“The Ronald McDonald House in London is a wonderful place with amazing people. My son Oliver was born over 12 weeks premature weighing only 1 pound 8 ounces at birth. Having a place like RMH right next door to the hospital allowed us to be close to our son at all times. It took away the financial worry of having to commute on a daily basis and pay for parking and meals because we lived outside of London. We were supplied with a warm home cooked meal from generous volunteers every day, spending the night in RMH’s comfortable rooms. In total we spent over 100 days at RMH while our son grew and recovered from a couple surgeries. With the care and support of RMH we were able to keep our family together while we made it through this trying time.” Kevin Steenbergen, Operations Manager, Gateway Casinos Woodstock
“The Ronald McDonald House here in London is a deserving charity. They help families who have a sick child by offering parents a place to stay while their child is in the hospital receiving treatment. I personally have had a cousin who utilized Ronald McDonald House while her son went through several surgeries. They lived well over an hour away from the hospital and it was very helpful for her to be close by.” Jason Dalton, Auditor, Gateway Casinos London
“When my daughter was born 2 1/2 months early and spent the majority of that time in the NICU, the Ronald McDonald Room provided a quiet place to go and re-energize. The change of atmosphere, friendly volunteers and a space that made you feel like you were at home made a big difference and I am very grateful to have been able to use this amazing facility.” Paula Jones, Audit Manager, Gateway Casinos London
