LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 25th Anniversary of The Ronald
McDonald House of Long Island

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize the
achievement of those facilities and organizations which substantially
contribute to the health, comfort and well-being of the people of the
Empire State; and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, this Legislative Body wishes to commend the
efforts of organizations and facilities which provide much needed and
essential support services for the families of critically ill children,
and serve to enhance the quality of life for those children and their
families; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commem-
orate the 25th Anniversary of The Ronald McDonald House of Long Island
to be celebrated on Saturday, March 24, 2012, at Citi Field, Flushing,
New York; and
WHEREAS, The mission of The Ronald McDonald House of Long Island is to
give comfort and shelter to families with a sick child in a local hospi-
tal; and
WHEREAS, A "home-away-from-home", the House provides the parents and
siblings of these children with a temporary haven in a secure and
comfortable environment among other families sharing a similar burden;
and
WHEREAS, The Ronald McDonald House of Long Island, which opened in
1986, is the 100th House of the over 300 Ronald McDonald House programs
around the world; each one is an independent, not-for-profit corporation
responsible for raising its own funds and maintaining the operation of
the facility under the leadership of a volunteer Board of Directors; and
WHEREAS, In the fall of 2001, the Board of Directors of The Ronald
McDonald House of Long Island launched a capital campaign to support an
expansion project that has more than doubled the size of the existing
facility; and
WHEREAS, The result -- a 44,000 square foot facility which includes 42
bedrooms, each with a private bath, children's play areas both inside
and outdoors, a library, eight kitchen stations, two Kosher kitchens, a
fully stocked food pantry, five laundry rooms and a Great Room where the
families can socialize or watch television; and
WHEREAS, For more privacy, there is a small TV room on the second
floor and an additional main floor lounge that is perfect for quiet
activities; and
WHEREAS, The Ronald McDonald House of Long Island is able to be a
"home-away-from-home" for approximately 1,000 families per year; since
its inception, the House has served over 15,000 families from Long
Island, throughout the United States and abroad; and
WHEREAS, A majority of these families are from the New York Metropol-
itan area as well as Nassau and Suffolk Counties; the number of families
staying at the House each year varies depending upon the length of stay
and type of treatment; and
WHEREAS, The Ronald McDonald House of Long Island must cover its oper-
ating expenses through private donations and contributions; the House
coordinates a number of ongoing fundraising campaigns including: donor
acknowledgement programs such as Walk of Love, Tree of Love, Heart Wall;
and a year-end appeal as well as a number of annual special events; and
WHEREAS, The relationship between the House and McDonald's is two-
fold: on a local level, the McDonald's New York Tri-State

Owner/Operators organization plays a major role in the House; they guar-
anteed half of the original mortgage; and
WHEREAS, The Tri-State Owner/Operators also help promote many House
fundraising events, such as the Annual Lloyd Frazier Memorial Golf and
Tennis Outing and the Annual Polo Event; and
WHEREAS, In addition, six Owner/Operators are members of the Board of
Directors; on a national level, The Ronald McDonald House Charities,
based in Oak Brook, Illinois, give each newly established House seed
money as well as the license to use its name; furthermore, it provides a
host of administrative services and operating standards and secures
support from national donors; an example of such donors is Coca Cola,
which provides beverages to the Houses nationwide; and
WHEREAS, It is the practice of this Legislative Body that when organ-
izations and facilities of such noble aims and accomplishments are
brought to our attention, they should be recognized by all the citizens
of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate The 25th Anniversary of the Ronald McDonald House of Long
Island; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to The Ronald McDonald House of Long Island, 267-07 76th Avenue,
New Hyde Park, New York.