The seeds of Ronald McDonald House were planted in Philadelphia in 1974 when Kim Hill, the 3-year-old daughter of Philadelphia Eagles tight end Fred Hill, was diagnosed with leukemia. Hill and his wife camped out on hospital chairs and benches, ate food from vending machines and did all they could to keep Kim from seeing their sadness, exhaustion and frustration.

All around them, the Hills saw other parents doing exactly the same thing. They learned that many of the families had traveled great distances to bring their children to the medical facility; but the high cost of hotel rooms was prohibitive. The need was obvious to create a place where parents of sick chilren could be with others who understood each others' situations and could provide emotional support.

Today there are over 245 Ronald McDonald House programs in 25 countries. Across the country and thoughout the world, people view Ronald McDonald House as a way for a community to band together for their neighbors in need of comfort and security during a particularly difficult time.

Our original House in Cincinnati (under the name Children's Family House) opened its doors on November 14, 1982 thanks to the vision of our founders and the support of local McDonald's owner/operators, Children's Hospital Medical Center, and many individuals, parishes, corporations and foundations. Our original "home away from home" served more than 11,000 families from across the US and around the world. Since opening our new 48-bedroom House in November 2001, we have averaged a 97% occupancy rate.