Ronald McDonald House Charities Announce Results of the
10th Annual Red Shoe Crew-Walk for Families
(October 8, 2021, St. John’s, NL) – Ronald McDonald House Charities Newfoundland and Labrador (RMHC NL) and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro (Hydro), the presenting sponsor of the 10th annual Red Shoe Crew-Walk for Families, today announced the total funds raised from the event. Other announcements included the winner of the Grand Prize Draw, Provincial 50/50 Lottery, Share Your Heart Challenges and top fundraiser. The announcement was made during the Final Step Event held outside Ronald McDonald House in St. John’s in the presence of RMHC families, Board Members, staff, Red Shoe Crew Volunteers, Hydro staff, and other sponsors that include Stingray, NTV, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Cossette, PAL Airlines, In the Box Media Promotions, and Saputo.
More than a thousand individuals took part in the Red Shoe Crew-Walk for Families across the province. This year participants had the option to safely attend some small in-person events or walk when they want, where they want in the month of September. Given the current reality we are incredibly excited to announce that the Walk for Families raised $210,000 and climbing. The funds raised will support the ongoing programs and services at Ronald McDonald House in accommodating hundreds of sick or injured children and their families each year. Since opening in 2012, Ronald McDonald House has been able to accommodate 1540 families during more than 39,000 nights, keeping them close to each other and the care and resources they need, when they need it most.
Rebecca Hewlett of Springdale, NL, expressed her sincere appreciation to everyone that supports Ronald McDonald House. In the spring of this year the family experienced their own crisis when their 11-year-old son, Austin, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoid Leukemia. After multiple tests, it was determined he would need several rounds of treatments. For the Hewlett Family, that meant relocating on a semi-permanent basis to St. John’s. “We heard about Ronald McDonald House, but didn’t completely understand how important it is to families until we too became a RMHC Family on April 12, 2021. We have been at Ronald McDonald House 179 nights now and it is making supporting Austin so much easier. Austin has been hospitalized more than 100 of those nights and he says he can see us walk back and forth from Ronald McDonald House from his hospital room! He also can see if our car moves!”
Austin’s treatments are expected continue until into 2022. For the Hewlett family, travelling back and forth to Springdale is simply not an option. “Thanks to all of you, the corporate sponsors, the volunteer event organizing committees, the participants, and all the people who donate and support Ronald McDonald House – you have given our family a home when we can not be at home. We know that Ronald McDonald House, and all the people who support it, are also part of our fight and the reason we are able to be close to each other and the care and resources we need, when we need it most. For this we want to extend sincere thanks on behalf of our family and all the families that need Ronald McDonald House.”
The Top Fundraiser for the Red Shoe Crew-Walk for Families event was awarded a gift card valued at $500. The Top Fundraiser for 2021 is ten-year-old Emma King of Victoria who made her steps count for families every single day in September and raised an outstanding $8700 by collecting donations in her community and a large recycling effort. Emma King was also the winner in 2020 when she raised $6200.
As part of the reformatting of Red Shoe Crew-Walk for Families in 2020, we introduced the new Share Your Heart Challenge. We encouraged participants to take a photo while walking in the month of September, and share why they walk for families on something heart-shaped. Each post was to be tagged with #RedShoeCrew2021. The winner of the Share Your Heart Challenge is Vanessa Penney of Sunnyside, NL.
We also introduced the Share Your Heart Business Challenge. Businesses were invited to sell Hearts to their customers and display in their storefronts or windows. The Top 3 Share your Heart Business Challenge Businesses are:
- 1st place : Footwear Plus in St. Anthony
- 2nd Place: Fionn MacCool’s in St. John’s
- 3rd Place: Arnold’s Cove Inn in Arnold’s Cove
The Grand Prize for the Red Shoe Crew-Walk for Families event was a trip for two anywhere PAL Airlines flies. For every $100 participants raised on a pledge sheet for Ronald McDonald House, participants received a chance to win. Hundreds of ballots were submitted by all event locations and the winner was Emma King that participated in the Victoria Red Shoe Crew-Walk for Families.
The Provincial 50/50 Lottery was running in conjunction with the Red Shoe Crew-Walk for Families in September. The lucky winners:
1st Place winning approximately $3000 was Toni Pike with lucky ticket number 3154 sold by Matthew Butler
2nd Place winning approximately $1800 was Good Billings with lucky ticket number 3119 sold by Chad Haggett
3rd Place winning approximately $1200 was Staci Simms with lucky ticket number 1336 sold by Sherry King.
“We thank everyone who participated, volunteered, sponsored or supported Ronald McDonald House during this very difficult year. Special thanks to sponsors: Hydro, Stingray, NTV, McDonald’s – NL, Coca-Cola, Cossette, PAL Airlines, In the Box Media Promotions, and Saputo.” said Theresa Rahal, Board Chair with Ronald McDonald House Charites Newfoundland and Labrador. “Events, such as our Red Shoe Crew-Walk for Families, are an amazing reflection of our communities hard at work and supporting others – truly showing how important Ronald McDonald House is to everyone in our province. The funds raised with help us keep families with a sick or injured child close to each other and the medical care they need when dealing with a sick or injured child far from home.”
Red Shoe Crew - Walk for Families 