MSC/MAPC Donates To RMHC-Madison’s Building On Hope Campaign

MADISON, WI – Madison Area Mechanical and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (MSC) and Madison Association of Plumbing Contractors, Inc. (MAPC) raised $5,500.00 during their 20^th Annual Golf Scramble at Bishops Bay Country Club last August, and presented a check to Ronald McDonald House Charities – Madison for the Building on Hope capital campaign.  Building on Hope is a new expansion to the original Ronald McDonald House, nearly doubling in size and increasing the homes capacity from 18 to 31 rooms.

“We had a great event again this year, and we’re happy to be able to give back to such a wonderful organization,” said MSC/MAPC Executive Director Julie Walsh.  “Our members and partners are so supportive, and we look forward to continuing to give back to the community.”

MSC and MAPC raised their donation at their annual golf tournament through the support and generosity of L.W. Meyer; DeWalt Tools; Milwaukee Tools; Automated Logic Contracting Services; Ferguson; Hilti; J.F. Ahern Co.; Trane; First Supply; Herkowski, Stickler & Associates, LLC.; Hot Water Products, Inc.; Rundle-Spence; Aquire Madison; Columbia Pipe & Supply Co.; Insulation Industries Incorp.; Johnson Controls; Masters Building Solutions; The Glacier Group; Vyron Corporation; and Hellenbrand, Inc.

J.F. Ahern Co. is a member of MAPC and has donated over $100,000 in labor to the Building on Hope campaign.  A member of MSC, General Heating and Air Conditioning is in charge of all of the HVAC for the addition to the home, and renovations to the current building.  Associate member of both MSC and MAPC, First Supply has donated between $75,000 and $100,000 worth of supplies used during construction at Madison’s Ronald McDonald House construction site.  Building on Hope is an $8.9 million campaign that has brought the community together to help families as they take care of their sick children.

Dave Orr, former President of GHAC and current President of Hooper Corporation presented RMHC-Madison’s Executive Director Kevin Huddleston with the $5,500.00 check.

“The campaign has been going on for about a year-and-a-half,” explained Huddleston.  “What we’re attempting to do is essentially double the size of the Ronald McDonald House.  We’ll go from 18 to 31 bedrooms and a number of other extra common spaces, a workout room, a second kitchen, and enlarging other spaces like the game room and laundry room.  We’ll also have underground parking.  Most of our parking will be below grade in the wonderful Wisconsin weather.  We’ve often had to go out into the parking lot with an umbrella in the rain, snow, and ice, and help someone in all that mess who’s trying to get their wheelchair-bound child inside as soon as possible.  So, (underground parking) will be really helpful.”

Kevin continued, “We have about 1,200 families a year that come through here.  We had over 28,000 over the last 25 years.  All over Wisconsin, all over the world, people come here.  We see them come in, and they just look shell-shocked when they’re here for the first time.  Nobody expected they would be walking out of an oncologist’s office and walking into Ronald McDonald House.  People just don’t see that coming, and their whole world is turned upside down.  But then, they find out they’re going to have room and board, and transportation, and everything they need at no cost, and you just watch the stress just begin to melt off of them because they have a place to stay and everything they need here, so they can focus on their kid getting better.”

Madison is a vibrant community with so many individuals willing to give back.

“It’s an amazing labor of love,” explained Mary Donahue, Director of Development at RMHC-Madison.  “People who have stepped up and with all kinds of offers of help…the generosity from the community has just been astounding.  Madison is a really small city that does really big stuff.  When people in the community became aware we were turning families away for lack of room, the response was overwhelming.  We are so grateful to all donors and tradespeople, and companies that have opened their hearts and helped the expansion become a reality!”

The community has stepped up to come together and build a beautiful home for families going through one of the toughest and scariest experiences of their lives.  MSC and MAPC are happy to be one of the many organizations throughout Madison to help build hope in the community.  The Building on Hope campaign is in the homestretch with just a little more than $100,000 left to reach their $8.9 million goal.  If you would like to contribute, you can donate at https://www.rmhcmadison.org/buildingonhope/donate/.

For more information about Ronald McDonald House Charities – Madison’s Building on Hope campaign, visit their website at www.rmhcmadison.org/buildingonhope.