Ronald McDonald House Spotlight

By: Kaitlyn Grifonetti

On Tuesday, April 23, the chairs on IUDM’s Public Relations committee set off for the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) in Indianapolis, where they would cook and serve a meal to families of Riley Children’s Hospital.

With the help of the Hospital Relations Committee, members of Indiana University Dance Marathon have the opportunity to give back to a community that they care so much about.

Hospital Relations’ two Riley Operations Chairs, Claire and Anna, walk participants through all the steps to have a successful day at the Ronald McDonald House. They provide meal ideas, help go grocery shopping, and serve as liaisons between members and the RMH.

Dressed in IUDM merchandise, participants arrive and immediately get to work, which usually begins with hatching a game plan for an efficient and tasty meal. Unloading the groceries, delegating the cooking, and keeping the food warm are all critical aspects of the evening.

When the clock hits 6:30 PM, dinner is served by the committee members who are so excited to be a helping hand to the strong families of Riley. Families trickle in, and plates are handed out. After dinner, leftovers are packaged, labeled, and put away for those who could not make it to assure that they will have a meal to eat whenever possible.

“Having the opportunity to help out at the Ronald McDonald house was such a great way for me to get more involved with IUDM in a way that I wasn’t super familiar with beforehand,” Ayaan Abbasi, member of the Public Relations chair team, said. 

Attending the Ronald McDonald House is another incredible way to get involved in IU Dance Marathon and provides a fulfilling experience for committee members.