The Rotary Club of Botany Randwick has recently renewed its sponsorship of a family accommodation room at Ronald McDonald House, Randwick.Ronald McDonald House provides a home away from home for families of children from rural and regional NSW who are undergoing treatment at the Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick.
In 2024, our room provided accommodation for 70 different families, with the longest stay being 36 days. Those families came from places like Goulburn, Wagga Wagga and Dubbo.
Our relationship with Ronald McDonald House goes back at least 20 years. The arrangement is reciprocated with the House providing accommodation for children and their guardians who are being treated under the Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC) program. 11 year old Nayline and her dad, Henry, from Vanuatu, are currently staying there whilst Nayline undergoes treatment for scoliosis.
As well as sponsoring Room 20, the Club also provides a family meal. Last year this took the form of a BBQ, where we catered for 80 people staying at the House. This was greatly appreciated by the many families staying there, especially after returning from a long day attending to their children up at the hospital. Not having to worry about then preparing a meal was a blessing for them. And there were enough left overs for a cook-up the following day!