Maine McDonald’s present $10,000 to Ronald McDonald House charities

    AUBURN — The Maine McDonald’s Owner/Operator Association recently presented Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maine with a check for $10,000. The money accompanied a national award from USA Weekend that honored Maine McDonald’s for its 2010 Breakfast Makes A Difference program, an initiative created for USA Weekend’s Make A Difference Day, the nation’s largest day of service.
     The 2010 Maine McDonald’s Breakfast Makes a Difference program recruited over 100 volunteers to engage in projects at five Maine organizations that had previously received funding from RMHC of Maine. The projects varied from maintenance and cleaning, to outdoor work such as clearing brush, fixing up an old playground, to cooking at a local Ronald McDonald House®. Volunteers received t-shirts, snacks from Newman’s Own Organics and a wholesome breakfast from McDonald’s.
     “On behalf of the entire RMHC of Maine board of trustees, it is an honor to accept this award that will be used to provide funding to organizations that positively impact children and families across the state,” stated Gary Eckmann, President of the Board and McDonald’s Owner/Operator.
    The Maine McDonald’s Breakfast Makes A Difference program was featured in an issue of USA Weekend along with nine other award recipients from across the country. USA Weekend has a readership of 22.6 million and appears in 800 newspapers nation-wide. On Make A Difference Day 2010 more than 3 million Americans volunteered to help an estimated 20 million people in need of food, shelter, care and love.
     Plans are already underway for the 2011 Maine McDonald’s Breakfast Makes a Difference program scheduled for Sat., Oct. 22, 2011, national Make A Difference Day. To sign up to volunteer, log on to www.rmhcmaine.org/volunteer.