McHappy Day®: Serving Up Smiles across Canada

Four-year-old Jordyn Nemer and her mom attended an 80th birthday luncheon for George Cohon, founder of McDonald’s Canada, RMHC Canada and McHappy Day at Ronald McDonald House Toronto on Monday. McHappy Day is Wednesday, May 3rd and $1 from every hot McCafé beverage, Happy Meal and Big Mac will support RMHC and other children’s charities. (CNW Group/McDonald's Canada)

Ronald McDonald House Toronto guest Aiden Verk, 8, and George Cohon, founder of McDonald’s Canada, RMHC Canada and McHappy Day, celebrated their birthdays with Ronald McDonald on Monday. McHappy Day is Wednesday, May 3rd and $1 from every hot McCafé beverage, Happy Meal and Big Mac will support RMHC and other children’s charities. (CNW Group/McDonald's Canada)

Canadians invited to support thousands of local children and families

TORONTO, May 2, 2017 /CNW/ - May 3^rd marks a key milestone for McDonald's^® Canada as the company celebrates 40 years since the launch of the Canadian-born McHappy Day, a one-day event in support of Ronald McDonald House Charities® Canada (RMHC^® Canada) and other local children's charities which is now celebrated in 18 countries throughout the world including the United States, Australia, England and Sweden.

Tomorrow, $1 from every Big Mac^® sandwich, Happy Meal^® and hot McCafé^® beverage sold will go towards supporting families of sick children, when they need it most. Every McDonald's restaurant will celebrate in its own unique way, including hosting local celebrities, athletes, media personalities, dignitaries and VIPs to raise donations.

"McHappy Day is a long-standing tradition that was born right here in Canada – and it really is at the heart of who we are and what we do," said John Betts, President and CEO of McDonald's Canada. "We strongly believe in community and giving back to the neighbourhoods where we live and work in. Every year, Canadians across the country come together around the important work of the Ronald McDonald Houses and Family Rooms, and celebrate McHappy Day in all of our restaurants."

In addition to McHappy Day's milestone year, George Cohon, founder of McDonald's Canada, RMHC Canada and McHappy Day, is celebrating a special milestone as well: his 80^th birthday.

"McHappy Day is an event that is near and dear to my heart because it raises awareness and funds to help over 30,000 families of sick children stay together during difficult and often unexpected times each year," says Cohon. "When I helped found RMHC Canada, I would never have imagined the RMHC network of programs – the 15 Ronald McDonald Houses, 16 Family Rooms and 2 Care Mobiles would grow to this size – one family at a time. I am so thankful and inspired by the kindness and generosity of Canadians from coast to coast."

Canadians can also support families directly through in-restaurant and online fundraising activities including:

• Purchasing a McHappy Day Heart in-restaurant
• Purchasing fundraising merchandise at participating McDonald's restaurants (such as branded socks, notebooks and pins)
• Starting your own Make Fun Matter Campaign at MakeFunMatter.ca  
• Donating online: rmhc.ca

RMHC Facts:

• Last year, the RMHC network of programs in Canada support over 30,000 families, from across 1,800 communities
• There are 15 Ronald McDonald Houses, 16 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms and 2 Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles in Canada.
• Since the first Ronald McDonald House opened in Canada, over 321,000 families have been cared for at RMHC
• Last year, McHappy Day raised over $5 Million!

About Ronald McDonald House Charities® Canada (RMHC® CANADA)

RMHC Canada is the national foundation of support for Canada's 15 Ronald McDonald Houses, 16 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms and 2 Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles across the country. Collectively, these programs support over 30,000 families each year, providing access to quality health care and enabling family-centered care.  All, by keeping families close – one family at a time.

The 15 Ronald McDonald Houses across the country provide a home for out-of-town families whose children are being treated at a nearby hospital, while the 16 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms offer families a place to rest and recharge right inside the hospital. Completing our circle of support are 2 Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles, mobile health units that bring medical care to underserved communities in Alberta.

As our founding and forever partner, and RMHC's largest donor, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited, their franchisees and guests, generously provide over $10 million annually to help support the RHMC network of programs for families with sick children across Canada. 

For more information visit www.rmhc.ca.

About McDonald's® Canada

In 1967, Canadians welcomed the first McDonald's restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited has become part of the Canadian fabric, serving close to three million guests every day. Together with our franchisees, we proudly employ nearly 90,000 people from coast-to-coast and approximately 85 per cent of McDonald's 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs. Of the almost $1 billion we spend on food, more than 85 per cent is purchased from suppliers in Canada.

For more information on McDonald's Canada visit www.McDonalds.ca.

SOURCE McDonald's Canada

or to book an interview with a representative from McDonald's Canada or Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) for McHappy Day, please contact: Adam Grachnik, McDonald's Canada, [email protected], 416-446-3354; Lindsey Coulter, Weber Shandwick, [email protected]; 416-642-7883; Riddhi Gandhi, RMHC Canada, [email protected], 416-446-3427; McDonald's Media Relations Line, [email protected], 1-877-786-3342