930 FOR OUR NEXT LIVE GUEST. THAT’S RIGHT, OUR LOCAL RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITY IS CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF SERVING THE PIEDMONT TRIAD. AND THEY’RE INVITING THE COMMUNITY TO BE A PART OF THEIR INITIATIVES TO HELP EVEN MORE FAMILIES IN THE AREA. SO WE’RE SURE GLAD TO HAVE THEM JOINING US THIS MORNING. WE HAVE STEPHANIE BEEMAN JOINING US LIVE. SHE’S THE MARKETING MANAGER FOR THE PIEDMONT TRIAD. RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE. GOOD MORNING, STEPHANIE. HI. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US. SO FIRST, LET’S JUST TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANT MISSION OF WHAT YOU DO AND HOW YOU SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. YES. SO THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE HAS A MISSION TO PROVIDE A HOME AWAY FROM HOME FOR FAMILIES WHO HAVE CHILDREN THAT ARE RECEIVING MEDICAL TREATMENT HERE IN THE TRIAD. AND WE COVER THAT MULTIPLE DIFFERENT WAYS. SO IN OUR HOUSE, WE HAVE 36 ROOMS WHERE FAMILIES THAT RESIDE OUTSIDE FORSYTH COUNTY CAN COME AND STAY WHILE THEY HAVE CHILDREN RECEIVING TREATMENT. IN ONE OF OUR HOSPITALS. AND THEY DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT. THERE’S A SUGGESTED PAYMENT OF $10, BUT THEY DO NOT NEED TO PAY IF THEY’RE NOT ABLE, AND WE ALSO PROVIDE SERVICES THROUGH THREE FAMILY ROOMS. WE HAVE ONE IN BRENNER CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL, ONE IN NOVANT AND ONE AT MOSES CONE, AND THOSE ARE THERE FOR ANY FAMILIES THAT ARE THERE AT THE HOSPITAL WHO HAVE CHILDREN. THEY’RE RECEIVING MEDICAL TREATMENT. SO WE’RE SERVING THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES A YEAR THAT WAY. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE EIGHT HOSPITALS CARTS THAT THAT ROLL THROUGH EACH OF THE HOSPITALS, INCLUDING OTHER CLINICS AROUND TOWN, SUCH AS THE DOWNTOWN HEALTH PLAZA AND THOSE REACH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THAT ARE IN THE PEDIATRIC CLINICS THERE TO GIVE THEM SNACKS AND GAMES AND THINGS TO KIND OF DISTRACT THEM. AND KEEP THEM, UM, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT, KEEP THINGS A LITTLE BIT LIGHTER FOR THEM WHILE THEY’RE RECEIVING THEIR TREATMENT. YEAH. WHAT A SPECIAL AND IMPORTANT CAUSE THAT’S, YOU KNOW, WITH FAMILIES GOING THROUGH A HARD TIME, THAT’S ONE ONE LESS THING THEY HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT. YEAH. THAT’S SO SPECIAL. COULD YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR CURRENT INITIATIVE, WHICH IS SPORT A SHIRT SHARE A NIGHT. ABSOLUTELY. SO I AM WEARING OUR CURRENT INITIATIVE RIGHT NOW. THIS IS OUR 2024 DESIGN FOR SPORT SHIRT. IT’S SOMETHING THAT’S BEEN GOING ON UH, UPWARDS OF 20 YEARS. AND EVERY YEAR THERE’S A NEW DESIGN AND WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO PURCHASE A SHIRT. AND WHEN THEY BUY THIS SHIRT, IT ACTUALLY OFFSETS THE COST OF WHAT IT WOULD COST A FAMILY TO SPEND A NIGHT IN THE HOUSE. SO THAT’S WHY WE CALL IT SPORT A SHIRT. SHARE A NIGHT. SO YOU’RE SHARING A SHIRT WITH A FAMILY BY BUYING THAT SHIRT. UM, AND TO SHOW SUPPORT AND SHOW YOUR, UH, YOU KNOW, GENEROSITY AND OF THE COMMUNITY IS WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO WEAR THAT SHIRT ON A SPECIFIC DAY THIS YEAR THAT DAY IS APRIL 12TH. UM, SO THAT IS OUR WEAR DAY. AND, AND EVERY YEAR, FOLKS FROM ALL OVER THE COMMUNITY, LEE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, SOMETIMES ENTIRE STAFFS OF ORGANIZATIONS WILL PURCHASE THEIR SHIRTS AHEAD OF TIME AND WEAR ALL THEIR SHIRTS ON THE SAME DAY AND SHARE IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND SHARE THEIR SUPPORT FOR US. HOW WONDERFUL. AND STEPHANIE, PEOPLE CAN BUY THOSE SHIRTS RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY RIGHT NOW YOU CAN BUY THEM ON OUR WEBSITE. YOU CAN GIVE US A CALL. THERE’S MULTIPLE WAYS TO DO THAT. WHAT A GREAT WAY TO GET KIND OF A TEAM OR, YOU KNOW, YOUR COLLEAGUES AND YOUR FAMILY AND LOVED ONES TOGETHER TO DO THIS AND TO SUPPORT YOUR CAUSE. THERE’S ALSO CHANCES TO VOLUNTEER THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. STEPHANIE, CAN YOU SHARE DETAILS ON THAT? YES. SO ACTUALLY WE THERE’S ALWAYS CHANCES TO VOLUNTEER. WE HAVE A SPECIAL CAMPAIGN. WE’RE DOING THIS YEAR TO CELEBRATE OUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY. SO THAT EXPLAINS THE 40 HERE ON OUR DESIGN. THIS IS THE 40TH YEAR OF OUR OF OUR ORGANIZATION. SO ALL YEAR WE’RE GIVING THE COMMUNITY IDEAS OF WAYS THAT THEY CAN USE THAT NUMBER 40 AS WAYS TO SUPPORT OUR ORGANIZATION. SO ONE OF THOSE WAYS IS BUYING THE SHIRT THAT HAS THE 40TH LOGO ON IT. UH, APRIL IS VOLUNTEERING MONTH, SO PERHAPS SOMEONE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN COMMITTING TO VOLUNTEERING FOR 40 HOURS OVER THE NEXT YEAR, OR EVEN COMING TO THE HOUSE AND PREPARE MEALS? GENERALLY, WE NEED ABOUT 40 MEALS A NIGHT OR BATCHING COOKING A BATCH OF 40 COOKIES FOR FAMILIES. SO JUST KIND OF A FUN WAY TO KEEP THAT NUMBER IN MIND, BUT ALSO REMEMBER THAT WE ALWAYS NEED FOLKS IN THE HOUSE BAKING AND PREPARING MEALS AND VOLUNTEERING. YEAH, YOU HAVE SO MANY WONDERFUL PROGRAMS. MEALS FROM THE HEART FILL 40 WISHES. WE’LL HAVE ALL THOSE DETAILS TO ON YOUR WEBSITE AS WELL, WHERE FOLKS CAN FIND THIS INTERVIEW. STEPHANIE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. TAKE DOWN THIS WEBSITE YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN NOW FOR WAYS TO SUPPORT, VOLUNTEER AND AND OF COURSE TO SUPPORT YOUR SHIRT AND