Nye in top tier for fundraising effort to assist families with hospitalized children

Nonprofit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Las Vegas and Smith’s Food &Drug Stores teamed up to assist families with hospitalized children through its annual fundraiser.

And Pahrump residents had the second highest grossing store for giving during a fundraising event.

Carolyn Kresser, marketing coordinator at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Las Vegas, said the Pahrump store collected $649.94 in cash and gift cards during the nonprofit’s 20th annual Fill The Pantry Food Drive.

The Smith’s in Pahrump was also the second highest for donations in 2019. The fundraising event in 2020 didn’t include Pahrump, as there were not enough volunteers available.

In 2020, RMHC collected over five tons of food and household supplies and $11,500 in cash and gift card donations.

In the recent drive, RMHC Las Vegas collected nearly $11,000 in Smith’s gift cards and cash donations in its recent drive, along with over 8.7 tons of food and household supplies during the drive, which included 37 Smith’s stores across Southern Nevada and in Pahrump.

“We are so grateful for the wonderful support of the Las Vegas community,” says Alyson McCarthy, chief executive officer of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Las Vegas in a written statement. “Eight tons is an amazing amount of food to be donated, and it will allow us to provide meals and snacks to our families throughout the rest of the year. Plus, the cash donations and gift cards allow us to buy fresh produce, fruit, milk, and bread year-round to ensure our families have all the comforts of home.”

Roughly 150 volunteers helped with the 2021 drive, where they passed out “wish lists” to Smith’s shoppers. In addition to that, over two dozen volunteers helped sort, date and weigh the donations at the Ronald McDonald House in Las Vegas.

How the organization helps Nye

The Ronald McDonald Charities of Greater Las Vegas provides shelter and transportation for families that have a child receiving medical treatment at a Las Vegas hospital. Families who live more than 30 miles away can stay at what’s named the Ronald McDonald House in Las Vegas during a child’s treatment.

Families from Nye County have stayed a total of 860 nights at the House, with the organization assisting 92 families from Nye since 2013.

While families stay at the House, they are provided with breakfast, lunch and dinner, with much of the supplies coming from the organization’s annual food drive, Kresser noted in an earlier interview.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Las Vegas collects the bulk of its donations through local fundraising and private donations, according to its website. McDonald’s is the nonprofit’s largest corporate donor.

For more information on donating to the Ronald McDonald organization, head to https://rmhlv.org/news-events/rmhc-fundraisers/food-drive.