Rugby Southland is delighted to announce the partnership with Ronald McDonald House South Island will continue as our first charity partner to have their logo on our playing jersey. 

Rugby Southland Marketing Coordinator, Jack King said the gesture was a way to take their existing partnership with Ronald McDonald House South Island to the next level. 

“The Stags are an iconic brand in the Southland culture, so it is important we use that profile to support local charities.

“For many seasons now, our boys regularly visit the Ronald McDonald Family Room, Southland Hospital and provide the chance for families to head to a game. The logo on the playing jersey will create more awareness of the ongoing partnership and hopefully make people think about the Family Room as such a great asset to our community”.

Ronald McDonald House South Island Chief Executive Mandy Kennedy says, “We consider the relationship between the Ronald McDonald Family Room and Rugby Southland as very special and provides some welcome comradery for families with children in Southland Hospital.

“The families really enjoy the chance to have a chat with the players. When you have a child receiving hospital treatment a new friendly face or a couple of hours break to visit Rugby Park can help provide a bit of respite,” she said.

As well as strengthening the partnership, Mandy believes having the Ronald McDonald House South Island logo on the playing jersey this season will help raise the profile of the charity in the deep South.

“Families are never charged to stay with us or to use our facilities, so we rely largely on the generous support of the community to keep our doors open to families that need us. That means partnerships and awareness campaigns like this are invaluable to us,” she said.

The Ronald McDonald Family Room, Southland Hospital, visited by The Stag players is situated just metres from the Neonatal and Children’s Wards at Southland Hospital. It acts as a haven for families with children in hospital to stay, rest, eat and meet whilst being only steps away from their child’s hospital bed.

“We have had many of our wider Rugby Southland family stay at the Family Room at times when being together as a family is most critical,” Jack said.

As well as regular player visits to the Family Room throughout the season, a crew from Rugby Southland visit each year around Christmas time to make treats for the families.
 

For more information or to arrange a photo opportunity, contact:

Geraldine Tyas, Communications Advisor, Ronald McDonald House South Island: 027 236 7003
or Jack King, Rugby Southland: 027 8345320     

About Ronald McDonald House South Island

• Ronald McDonald House South Island provides free accommodation and support to families who must travel to Christchurch and Invercargill for their child’s medical treatment. By removing the stressors of everyday life, families can focus on what matters most – their child. For more information or to donate, visit www.rmhsi.org.nz.
• Please refer to Ronald McDonald House South Island in the first instance, and Ronald McDonald House thereafter.
• The Ronald McDonald Family Room, Southland Hospital is an extension of the Hospital that is directly connected to the Children’s and Neo Natal wards. When families walk in, they forget they’re in a hospital – it is a place to rest and regroup just moments away from their children.
• Since the Ronald McDonald Family Room, Southland Hospital opened in 2013, 906 families have stayed at the Family Room. 
• In 2020, over 100 families were supported at the Family Room, over 90% of those families were from Southland.
• It costs 1.4 million annually to operate our facilities, this includes our 26-bedroom Christchurch House, and the Family Rooms in both Southland and Christchurch Hospitals. It costs $140 to provide one night of accommodation to a family in need.
• Ronald McDonald House South Island relies on generous donations from the communities we support to keep our doors open to each and every family who needs us. This comes in the form of generous donations from Trusts and Foundations, businesses, community groups, regular donors and generous individuals. We also have an army of volunteers who collectively give the gift of time to the tune of over 18,000 hours each year and are the absolute backbone of our charity.

Article added: Friday 23 July 2021