Our History
In 1969, Kim Hill was three years old, battling leukemia. Doctors said she most likely wouldn’t recover. Frightened, her parents, Fred and Fran, vigilantly stayed at her bedside where they slept in a chair in her room. They grabbed whatever food they could and tried to hide their worry, sadness and fatigue. They mustered up every last ounce of strength they had and gave it to their daughter.
Inspired by their own struggle, Fred, a Philadelphia Eagles football player, and Fran set about to help other families.
In 1974, together with Dr. Audrey Evans, a visionary department head of pediatric oncology, Jimmy Murray, PR representative and later general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles, Ed Rensi, McDonald’s® district manager and later its chief executive officer, they built the first Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia. It was a place of strength so families could give 100% of themselves to their child. Demand was so great that it was an idea that has been replicated more than 390 times to date, with plans to keep growing. Ronald McDonald Houses are located in more than 60 countries and regions all over the world.
On February 14, 1981, the Tucson Ronald McDonald House became the 21st House to open in the world.
In response to the growing need here in Southern Arizona, the House was built to support the countless numbers of children undergoing treatment at Tucson area medical facilities.
When the Ronald McDonald House first opened its doors to families in need of a “home-away-from-home,” there were a total of five bedrooms and two shared bathrooms. The kitchen held a single refrigerator and one washer and dryer that somehow supported an average of 55 guests per month. Over the next 15 years, renovations increased the House’s capacity to 16 rooms. The addition of a duplex that was adjacent to what was then known as University Medical Center accommodated an additional two rooms for families who required long-term stays.
In 2002, the Ronald McDonald Family Room at Banner Children’s – Diamond Children’s Medical Center opened its door to families who have a child being treated at the children's hospital.
This room serves all families of pediatric patients, regardless of where they live. It has been a welcoming, change-of-pace for thousands of families over the years.
In 2004, RMHC Southern Arizona began a $4.5 million capital campaign to build a new, larger Ronald McDonald House in Tucson.
In December of 2007, the current location opened, which can now provide for up to 27 families. The 24,000-square-foot House serves nearly 600 family visits each year. Families stay anywhere from one night for a check-up or outpatient procedures, to six to nine months or more for organ and bone marrow transplants.
Arizona’s first Ronald McDonald Care Mobile hit the road in 2019 to serve Cochise County.
Our clinical partners with Chiricahua Community Health Centers operate the 45-foot mobile dental unit. It visits schools and community centers in rural areas, providing first class dental services to children who otherwise would have little or no access.
Our local Ronald McDonald House operates with a twelve full-time and seven part-time employees, assisted by more than 100 regular volunteers.
RMHC of Southern Arizona is governed by a Board of Directors whose members serve as volunteers and oversee the financial and legal health of the organization
Our newest Ronald McDonald Family Room opened in 2022 at Tucson Medical Center.
Located just outside the NICU, the Family Room serves families of pediatric patients by providing respite and community.
Due to the success of our first Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, a second was established in 2023, this time serving Pima County.
The second Care Mobile opened in December 2023 in partnership with MHC Healthcare. This vehicle augments the services at many of MHC Healthcare's sites across the Tucson metropolitan area, meaning more kids can get the care that is so important to their overall health.
Onward and Upwards!
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Arizona is always developing new programs to serve the children and families who need care in the Southern Arizona community. Opening soon is a Ronald McDonald Sibling Center inside the Play Zone at Banner Children’s Diamond Children’s Medical Center. It’s a place for siblings of patients to learn and play with the Child Life Services team while their parents spend some time focusing on their child who is being treated at the hospital.
Be a Catalyst for Care
Support current and future endeavors of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Arizona by becoming a program volunteer, making a donation or joining the Legacy of Love Society.