Australia, Saturday 16th November 2019: National McHappy Day ambassador and actress Katie Holmes kicked- off this year’s McHappy Day with a visit to Haberfield McDonald’s in support of Ronald McDonald House Charities.

McHappy Day is the largest annual fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House Charities in Australia raising much needed funds that help keep families together while their child is seriously ill.

Katie Holmes said: “I’m thrilled to be at McDonald’s in Haberfield to kick-off this year’s McHappy Day and assist with the fundraising efforts in support of Ronald McDonald’s House Charities. This is a great day, and if you haven’t yet made it to your local Macca’s to support this important cause, I’d encourage you to do so today! I visited Ronald McDonald House Westmead yesterday and spoke with families currently staying there. It was inspiring to see first-hand how the charity is supporting seriously ill or injured children and their families when they need it most.

Barbara Ryan, Chief Executive Officer, Ronald McDonald House Charities Australia, added: “We are so delighted to have Katie join us here at McDonald’s Haberfield and get involved with McHappy Day. Macca’s has set themselves an ambitious target to raise more than $5 million for Ronald McDonald House Charities to help us continue our vital support services and programs right across Australia.”

Some of the ways Australians can show their support for McHappy Day include:

• Buying a Big Mac from McDonald’s – $2 from every Big Mac sold on McHappy Day goes directly to Ronald McDonald House Charities

• Picking-up a pair of $5 silly socks or a Helping Hand for $2, $10 or $50

• Grabbing a bottle of Big Mac Sauce for $12

• Making a gold coin donation via the McHappy Day Bucket Brigades

To find out more about McHappy Day 2019, please visit https://www.rmhc.org.au/mchappyday

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Media enquiries please contact:

Stefanie Miro: stefanie@enthral.com.au | M +61 422 783 795

Nat Burcul: nat@enthral.com.au | M +61 401 919 927

About McHappy Day

As the largest fundraiser for RMHC Australia nationally, McHappy Day is instrumental in raising funds for the charity, which helps keep families together while their seriously ill child undergoes treatment. Since its inception in Australia in 1991, McHappy Day has raised more than $46 million for RMHC.

Fundraising from McHappy Day 2018 contributed to:

• More than 320,000 nights of accommodation for over 10,000 families

• More than 1,100 students a week receiving tutoring through The Ronald McDonald Learning Program on any given week

• More than 1,300 home-cooked meals being served for families after a difficult day at the hospital

McHappy Day donations fund programs including Ronald McDonald Houses, Ronald McDonald Family Rooms, The Ronald McDonald Learning Program and the Ronald McDonald Family Retreats.

Generous donations already made have helped fund the successful openings of three new Ronald McDonald Houses at Westmead, Perth and North Fitzroy over the last two years, as well as the opening of four new Ronald McDonald Family Rooms in Wagga Wagga, Townsville, Newcastle and Perth, and a Ronald McDonald Family Retreat in Busselton.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is an independent charity that helps seriously ill children and their families.

The cornerstone program of RMHC, the Ronald McDonald House, provides a ‘home away from home’ for families of seriously ill and injured children being treated at nearby hospitals. The Houses keep families close by giving parents and siblings the opportunity to stay together to support their sick loved ones. RMHC currently has 18 Houses throughout Australia accommodating more than 10,000 families annually.

Other programs include the Ronald McDonald Family Room Program which provides a relaxing haven within hospitals giving families a break from the stress of many hours spent by their child’s bedside and The Ronald McDonald Learning Program which currently helps an average of more than 1,100 children on any given week catch up on missed schooling following a serious illness.

Additionally, The Ronald McDonald Family Retreat Program provides families with seriously ill children a week’s free accommodation at one of five family retreats across Australia, enabling them to reconnect and enjoy a holiday when they most need it and can least afford it.

About McDonald’s Australia

Australia’s first McDonald’s restaurant opened in Yagoona, Sydney, in 1971. Today there are over 980 McDonald’s restaurants across Australia, 85 per cent of which are franchised and run by local businessmen and women. The organisation employs more than 105,000 people in restaurants and corporate offices Australia-wide and is the largest employer of youth in the country. McDonald’s creates more than 6,000 new jobs each year and spends over $40 million per annum on training and people development. McDonald’s suppliers export $175 million worth of Australian products annually and its restaurants spend more than $1.6 billion on food, packaging and other Australian goods and services each year.

For more information visit www.mcdonalds.com.au or https://www.facebook.com/McDonaldsAU.