It is with "deep sadness and heavy hearts" that local officials with Ronald McDonald House Charities announce the cancellation of this year’s Autumn Children’s Festival scheduled for October 2 and 3 at the Tennessee Riverpark.
As the Tennessee Riverpark continues to be a convenient and appropriate location for COVID testing and vaccinations, this decision was made jointly in the best interest of public health.
"While we know that this will come as a disappointment, we are grateful to our event sponsors who have decided to allow their donations to be used to continue providing the evening meal to the families at the Ronald McDonald House." stated Communications Coordinator Bethany Ramsey in a press release issued on Thursday.
Meal program volunteers were suspended in March 2020 and RMHC has provided meals from local restaurants in order to continue this vital element of our program.
“This is not a decision we have arrived at without careful consideration of the Ronald McDonald House programs that serve a vulnerable population of ill and injured children who are at higher risk of serious illness and complications from COVID-19,” said Jane Kaylor, RMHC President and CEO. “We look forward to resuming the annual Autumn Children’s Festival in October 2022.”
The Autumn Children’s Festival typically raises $65,000-$70,000 and supports the Share-A-Night Fund, which allows the organization to provide its services to families at little or no charge. Instead of attending the event they invite the community to help them continue to support families through their food program. Every night their House provides forty to fifty evening meals for family members staying close to their sick children in a nearby hospital.
For more information, visit rmhchattanooga.com.