Over 225 McDonald's restaurants in Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and Ironwood, Michigan, are donating a whopping $85,000 to the four Ronald McDonald Houses in Minnesota after having a fantastic week of Shamrock Shake sales. 

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McDonald's and its owners/operators raised this incredible amount of money during the March 7-17 Shamrock The House! fundraiser.

For each Shamrock Shake and Oreo Shamrock McFlurry sold, 25 cents was pledged to the Ronald McDonald House Charities Upper Midwest (RMHC-UM) and The Ronald McDonald House of Rochester, the two entities that operate Minnesota's four Houses.

In the past nine years, this group has raised nearly $775,000 during this iconic week for the Minnesota houses. 

"We thank our customers, because their support of this wonderful cause helps us help families," McDonald's Minnesota Co-Op President Melissa Kennedy said. "We're proud to support Ronald McDonald House Charities here in Minnesota, where families stay together when it matters most." 

According to a news release from the organization:

Minnesota opened the doors to its first Ronald McDonald House in October 1979, just off the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus on Oak Street in Minneapolis. There are now two Ronald McDonald Houses in the Twin Cities; the other is inside Children's Hospital in Minneapolis, the first House inside a hospital. The House on Oak St. has rooms for 48 families per night; the one inside Children's can host 15 families.

 

The House in Rochester became a licensed Ronald McDonald House in 1990 and has 70 rooms with a maximum occupancy of five. The newest Ronald McDonald House, RMH-Northland, opened last year in Duluth inside Essentia Health - St. Mary's Medical Center; it has five rooms.

 

In addition to the four Houses in Minnesota, there are two Ronald McDonald Family Rooms in St. Paul (one at Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare and the other at Children's), which provide relaxing, inviting spaces for families just steps from where their child is being treated.

The houses provide an oasis for families traveling to seek medical treatment for their kids. Families stay for free and receive daily home-cooked meals, laundry services, and children's activities. 

Though Shamrock Shakes won't be making an appearance on the McDonald's menu any time soon, you can always support the Ronald McDonald houses by clicking here. 

A Quick Peak at International McDonald's Locations

McDonald's has locations all over the world...have you ever wondered what they look like? The words might look different, but they're surprisingly similar.

Maybe that's by design. My sister once visited Hong Kong and China and ate one night at McDonald's to see something familiar.

Either way, ta da!

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