St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 14, 2011 – Ronald McDonald House Charities of Metro St. Louis is among two charities and 10 businesses who are winners of BBB TORCH Awards for exceptional ethical business practices and customer service from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Serving Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois.
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Metro St. Louis is part of a national organization, but the local nonprofit is responsible for raising the funds to build and sustain the local houses, which provide housing to families of ill children for $5 a night. Families must live more than 50 miles away to stay overnight.
The St. Louis nonprofit has expanded from one to three houses under the leadership of Dan Harbaugh, the charity’s president. It also has added Ronald McDonald Family Rooms at three area hospitals that give families of children who live closer to the hospital a place to relax, prepare meals or snacks, take showers and do laundry without leaving the hospitals.
“It’s a safe haven,” Harbaugh said. “It just really makes a huge difference.”
The BBB will present the TORCH Awards at a luncheon on Wednesday, Nov. 30 at the Chase Park Plaza. Tickets for the luncheon are available at $50 a person, or $500 for a table of 10. Patron tables for 10 are available for $1,500. Reservations can be made by calling 314-645-0606.
Contacts: Michelle Corey, President & CEO, 314-584-6800, mcorey@stlouisbbb.org, or Chris Thetford, Vice President-Communications, 314-584-6743 or 314-681-4719 (cell), communications@stlouisbbb.org
The BBB is a nonprofit, business-supported organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. The BBB provides objective advice, free BBB Business Reviews, dispute resolution service, charity wise-giving reports, alerts and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. Please visit www.bbb.org for more information.