The Inland Empire Walks for Kids

INLAND EMPIRE>> The 2017 Walk for Kids event kicked off Sunday, April 2 at the Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario, Ca. A crowd of over one thousand gathered for the 5K walk around the arena and showed their support for the Ronald McDonald House Charities event, which was designed to raise funds and awareness for sick or terminally ill children. Registration started at $25, with donors like the Fontana Foundation of Hope pledging to match every $50 that came in. The Ronald McDonald House, which recently expanded from 21 rooms to 54 rooms, needs the funds from these events to continue helping families. Supporters from all over the Inland Empire showed up for the event, including organizations such as The County of San Bernardino, the Ontario Reign team mascot, Kingston, KCAL 96.7, Kaiser, Target, the Police Explorers and more. The effort put forth by groups such as Ontario Reign, who donated $1 million toward the house expansion effort, as well as the efforts put forth by the community at large, are vital in keeping the Ronald McDonald house running. The event opened with City of Ontario Mayor Pro Tem Ruben Valencia, along with Ronald McDonald House Executive Director Mike Kovack, the KCAL 96.7 morning crew, Ontario Reign Mascot Kingston, and Ronald McDonald himself, giving thanks to all in attendance. Valencia then presented Kovack with a plaque for all his hard work. “You’ll always have a home here in Ontario,” he said. While the events' purpose was to raise funds for sick children, it was also a place for healing. Chad Schnitger, County Supervisor Fourth District Special Projects Coordinator, shared the personal story of how the Ronald McDonald House brought comfort to his family in a time of need. "Five years ago, my 10 year old niece was diagnosed with pediatric Chondrosarcoma," Schnitger said. "For the next three years, my family became intimately familiar with the Loma Linda campus hospital." Schnitger described how the Ronald McDonald House allowed his niece to be close to her family during her illness, which afforded her a sense of normalcy that she would not have otherwise had. He then thanked the Ronald McDonald House for all their support. "On behalf of the County of San Bernardino Supervisor Curt Hagman, we would like to recognize the Ronald McDonald House charities of Southern California for their work helping families, changing lives and fighting cancer," Schnitger said. The King-Solis family also shared their story. Lupe King, grandmother of six, described how a car accident took away the life of her daughter and left four of her six grandchildren in the ICU at the Loma Linda Hospital, all in critical condition. “The Ronald McDonald House held us for about one month," King said. "They took so much stress off. They provided toiletries, food, a bed to sleep in, and somewhere I could stay close to my family. Because I was not gonna go home until the last kid came home, and by the grace of God they're all standing here before you today." Solis thanked the Ronald McDonald House for helping her family through that difficult month. "Even though my daughter is not here, God has been good," she said. "He brought all my grandchildren back." Events such as the Walk for Kids draw in funds that help families like Lupe’s through their most difficult times. The next people to receive thanks, were the individuals who help raise the funds. Kovack thanked Jack Long, who along with the Fontana Foundation of Hope, pledged to match every $50 that was brought in from the event. "The beautiful thing is that there’s no cap," Kovack said. "Jack, you're a hero to us and an angel." The Ronald McDonald House board members, including Debbie Sumpter, Larry Kaford, Mike Verbitski, Linda Smith, Margie Miller, Chairman Joey Ferrell and Mike Kovack also received thanks. Recognition was also given to the McDonald's team who raised the most money, which included the Yuen Family, who raised more than $2,500, iHerb, whose group raised $7,000, and TC McNett for Tri Star Monitoring. As the walk-a-thon start time neared, Camp Transformation led the crowd in a set of warm up exercises. Afterward, Elena Jones sang the National Anthem. After, the large crowd gathered behind a ribbon of red tape. At the front was the King-Solis family, along with Kingston, Kovack and the 96.7 crew. As the ribbon was cut, the crowd cheered, and the Inland Empire Walk for Kids was officially underway. The Ronald McDonald House is currently set to host Walk for Kids events in Orange County and Long Beach. Though the Inland Empire Walk for Kids may have ended, funds will continue to be collected for the next 30 days. The Ronald McDonald House depends on events such as this walk to continue caring for families when they need it the most. The funds donated help support the services and programs provided by the Ronald McDonald housing.