How West Aussies playing Lotto is helping to support Ronald McDonald House Charities WA
While plenty of West Aussies have hit the Lotto jackpot, Lotterywest’s impact on the broader Western Australian community is where you’ll find the real winners.
Thanks to you playing Lotterywest games each week, Lotterywest grants are helping the people of our State via hundreds of different grants, to the tune of $351.5 million in the last financial year alone!
We’ve been diving into a number of these grants through our Dream State series, and this week we’re looking at Ronald McDonald House Charities WA (RMHC WA).
This essential service supports families throughout WA who have ill or injured children by providing a home away from home and services such as Family Retreats, that keeps them together throughout their medical journey. Their Family Retreats helps them to reconnect, relax, and enjoy their time together in a holiday setting – something many of us often take for granted.
Back in 2015, an $8 million grant went towards the construction of the Ronald McDonald House in Nedlands, while more recently a grant of up to $300,000 went to the Family Retreat in Mandurah, and up to $280,000 towards the retreat in Busselton.
“For over a decade Lotterywest’s support of RMHC WA has provided WA families with supported accommodation and Family Retreats to keep families together and their wellbeing supported at the most difficult time of their lives,” says RMHC WA CEO Peter King.
“Some families will need RMHC WA’s support for a few days, some for months and years. Together with Lotterywest, RMHC WA helps to lift their emotional and financial burden so they can focus on what matters most – family.”
Families like Ayla-Jade Wheeler’s, who has been living with her daughter Rosalie at Ronald McDonald Nedlands House for over a year.
“RMHC WA has not only given us somewhere to stay while we have been going through Rosalie’s treatment, but it has also given us a community to lean on through staff, volunteers and other families while all our family and friends are so far away back home,” says Wheeler.
“I think all of this would be so much harder without RMHC WA. Here we don’t have to worry about having to find a home or meal as I know that it is here for us and the support we have received from everyone at the House has been amazing.
“It means the world to not have to worry about things like that when you are worried about your child’s health and you can just focus on them getting better.”
Find out more about how playing lotto is helping make good things happen in the WA community via the Lotterywest Dream State Hub.