Great Pretenders CEO, Joyce Keelan presents a $9,656 cheque to Ronald McDonald House Director, Heather Hoare.
Sarnia-born toy company, Great Pretenders donates $9,656 for the Ronald McDonald House Charity.
"I was in the early stages of starting my own business while raising 3 children, when my eldest, Kate, fell ill with a brain tumor. You can imagine the life-altering moment when I received the news. Being able to stay nearby Kate during the early days of her diagnosis and treatment was one less thing for me to stress about back then," said Great Pretenders CEO, Joyce Keelan.
"My daughter recovered from her brain tumor, and now proudly stands beside me as we continue to grow the Great Pretenders brand. As we were reflecting on her childhood, the Ronald McDonald House quickly came to mind as a wonderful charity to sponsor this holiday season."
Jen Seabrook and Lindsay Eve, Great Pretenders employees proudly serving lasagna and spaghetti dinner.
The Ronald McDonald House provides hospitality to families with seriously ill children as they undergo treatment at partnering hospitals. The RMD team put a lot of thought and care into so many aspects of the facility; from treasure rooms and balanced home-cooked meals to adventures, the supportive atmosphere has touched the families of multiple employees at Great Pretenders and beyond.
“I was surprised and touched at the response of so many employees ready to volunteer their time, especially this close to Christmas!” shares Katie Mazur, Marketing Manager responsible for coordinating the event. “I had no idea so many of my coworkers had also benefitted from this wonderful facility.”
Along with a monetary donation, the Great Pretenders team spent the evening of December 11, 2022 cooking dinner for the guests at the Ronald McDonald House. A second team of employees will return December 21st. They even brought along a special Ice Princess to visit the children!
"How can you own a kid's costume company and not bring a princess to visit the children?" Says Joyce Keelan. "We just couldn't resist! Our production team made this dress in less than two days".
Ice Princess (Madison Miller) shared Great Pretenders gifts with Stella & her sister, two guests staying at the Ronald McDonald House.
One thing is for sure, an Ice Princess and homecooked Italian food sure does seem a surefire way to help Let it Go with regard to stress, and with holidays around the corner, there was never a better time to bring extra smiles to sick children and their loved ones.
Learn about the Ronald MacDonald House Charity Here: https://rmhc.org/our-core-programs/ronald-mcdonald-house-programs