Married and Hungry : Ronald McDonald House Day of Change and an Interview with Ronald McDonald

Exciting news, I am a brand ambassador for McDonald’s of Central Arkansas!! I am required by the FTC to let you know that I am being compensated for these posts. I am not writing about McDonald’s for the compensation but because I love what the company is doing and want to share it with all of you. I'm Lovin' It!

An interview with Ronald During the Central Arkansas McDonald's Day of Change

Tuesday the 24^th was Day of Change at the Central Arkansas McDonald’s benefiting the Ronald McDonald house. I was lucky enough to be able to help out and even got to talk to with Ronald himself! The day was a fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House Charity. The funds raised will go towards the building of the new Little Rock house. The current house holds 28 rooms and helps 10,000 families a year. It is a house that houses that many families, the bathroom facilities are shared amongst the people staying. The new house will hold 36 families at a time, each room having its own bathroom and siting room. They are all very excited for how awesome this new house will be. Plans to break ground are in June or July of this year! Click here for more information on the new house.

Arkansas Federal Credit Union sent out groups of volunteers to help collect money. They were having fun with it and did a great job!

Ronald was kind enough to make alter his plans for the day and make a trip down to Conway to see me for an interview. I was so excited to meet him, I have always been a fan of McDonalds in general and have many Ronald items. Including all the movies they made of Ronald with his pals, which he remembered and we shared our favorite ones!

Married and Hungry got to interview the Ronald McDonald

He was so great to talk to!

Married and Hungry: Do your feet ever get sore in your red shoes? What size are they?

Rondald McDonald: Well if I walk in them all day my feet get sore, just like yours do if you are on them all day. They are a size 29 triple E; extra wide, extra long, and extra red.

MH: Have you met someone who stands out to you at a Ronald McDonald House?

R: Everyone there stands out for some reason or another. People don’t think about how the house is mainly for the parents, since the kids are typically at the hospital. The kids are so resilient and coping with the situation they are in, which is usually their normal. The parent though they are the ones that need that extra support to help cope with what is going on. That is what the house and its workers are for.

MH: What is your favorite McDonalds Meal?

R: It really depends on the day I like them all. Today I would pick the Chicken Selects.

MH: How do you keep your hair so curly?

R: [Laughing] Lots and lots of hairspray.

MH: Do you choose the healthy options here often?

R: Absolutely. The grilled chicken sandwiches and salads are great options.

MH: How often do you visit Ronald McDonald House?

R: The kids are usually in the hospital and when I’m in town and can I will visit them there. If they are at the house I will go and hang out there. Also if I have different things going on in the afternoon and the morning I will hang out at the house between them. The Little Rock house has holiday events that I go to as well.

MH: Who is a kid that you remember well?

R: All the kids are great. There is one girl recently that is in Little Rock who is there everyother month, has been the last 3 or 4 years and will continue to be for a long time. She has a vascular condition that requires her to have surgery at least once a year and treatments often. She has pictures of her with the Ronald statue on the bench since she was 18 months old all the way up to present, but we had not met. I was close by when she was going to be in town for treatment so I made a trip to surprise her. We took our picture on the bench did a few magic trick and chatted before she had to go in.

He was telling about this awesome little girl.

MH: Do you get to hang out with any other members of the McDonald gang often?

R: Of course, Grimace and I went golfing just last week!

MH: What is something that you want people to know about Ronald McDonald House?

R: That we are here for you, there is one in Little Rock. We get a lot of people saying “Oh there is one in Little Rock”. We need you though to help support us, we can not do what we do without you. There is a misconception that we are completely funded by McDonald’s, they help a lot but we still depend on other gifts and donations to keep going. Also Ronald McDonald House Charties is more than just the houses we also help support other charity groups and scholarships.

I had so much fun talking with Ronald learning more about the Ronald McDonald House and taking selfies with him. He was so great to take pictures with all the kids around and hand out Ronald smiles on a stick. I’m very glad that I had this opportunity.