Run for the House

In these unprecedented times, the Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan continues to serve families with ill children in the hospital, while redefining what support looks like to also keep them safe from COVID-19. Our families are among those most vulnerable. We serve the families who must be protected, and we are no strangers to the fear, stress and toll medical uncertainty takes.

We have always prided ourselves on celebrating the strength of our families and our House, rather than dwelling on the challenges they’ve overcome. We’ve seen superheroes triumph and game masters solve the most difficult medical puzzles. We’ve celebrated birthdays, graduations (from the NICU and from high school), gone off to college and welcome hundreds of babies into this world.

For the past 20 years, we have supported families of ill children while celebrating that strength.

But sometimes, being strong means knowing when to ask for help. And now we must ask for help.

To keep our families and our community safe, we must adapt how we function, and change how we serve our families.

The most immediate of these changes is the cancellation of our 20th Run for the House. Though many of you already know we were unable to host our 20th Run for the House on Sunday, March 22, 2020 as planned, we have made the incredibly difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Run rather than postpone it.

We simply don’t know when a large event such as the Run will be safe for our families, and yours. Despite the impact this will have, we know the health and safety of our families is our mission, and we must honor it and honor their strength by supporting them in staying healthy.

And just like medical uncertainty can cause fear and financial strain for our families, it does so for us. The Run for the House is our single largest fundraising event each year.

So we’re asking you to please help us to adapt and evolve how we serve our families -- how we keep them close while keeping them safe, how we deploy new tools and new ways of helping families connect and how we support families unable to come to the House physically because of what’s happening.

Although we are unable to host a 2020 Run for the House due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you can still help the House:

• Select “You can keep my registration fee” on our race page’s pop-up screen to provide much needed funds to support families with hospitalized children in our local community this year. If you haven’t already made this selection, you can do so now on our race page: https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/EastLansing/RunfortheHouseMichigan
• If you previously selected “Stay in race” please reply to this email or contact us through our RunSignUp race page under "Race Contact Info" if you’re willing and able to donate your registration fee. RunSignUp race page: https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/EastLansing/RunfortheHouseMichigan.
• If you previously selected “Get a refund” but would now like to change your decision to “You can keep my registration fee,” please reply to this email or send us a message on our RunSignUp race page https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/EastLansing/RunfortheHouseMichigan under “Race Contact Info.”
• If you previously selected, “Stay in race,” and would now prefer or need a refund, please reply to this email or contact us directly on our race page. Your registration and any additional merchandise purchases will be refunded (less original processing fees). Refund requests must be made by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, May 1, 2020.
• While we know this is an overwhelming time and we wish we didn’t have to set a deadline, we are unable to access any of the funds until all refunds are processed. We appreciate your understanding. RunSignUp race page: https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/EastLansing/RunfortheHouseMichigan.
• We understand that these times are tough on everyone. If you have not made a selection yet and would prefer or need a refund, please visit https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/EastLansing/RunfortheHouseMichigan and select “Get a refund” on the pop-up screen.
• All refund requests will be processed back to your original method of payment. We appreciate your patience as we work to refund each request individually.
• Make an additional donation to support the House during this time at www.rmhmm.org/donate.
• If you have any questions, please reply to this email or send us a message on our RunSignUp race page https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/EastLansing/RunfortheHouseMichigan under “Race Contact Info.”

These are difficult, uncertain times. But we are strong, and we know our community is strong too. We don’t know what additional changes, adaptations and evolutions will happen in the coming days, weeks and months. We stand ready and willing to do what it takes to continue to support families, to prioritize their health, and to keep the community around us healthy.

Thank you for continuing to help us, and standing strong beside us.

Stay well,

Carolyn Hurst, Executive Director

Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan