One Billion Moments Served: McDonald's Canada Celebrates 20 Years of the Happy Meal® RMHC® Fundraising Program

McDonald’s celebrates the Happiest Cities in Canada for their help raising more than $100 million for Ronald McDonald House Charities® Canada since 2004

TORONTO, Sept. 17, 2024 /CNW/ – For 20 years, the sale of every Happy Meal® at McDonald’s restaurants across Canada has not only brought smiles and created life-long memories for guests, but also helped families through Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®) Canada.* As the program celebrates more than 1 billion Happy Meals sold and $100 million raised for RMHC across Canada, McDonald’s Canada is honouring the "Happiest Cities & Towns" in Canada that have sold the most Happy Meals† for their role in helping make a meaningful difference in the lives of families with sick children.

"If you have purchased a Happy Meal at a McDonald’s restaurant in Canada in the last two decades, you’ve supported RMHC in its mission and helped families in your own community," said Michèle Boudria, President and CEO, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Limited. "As the founding and forever partner of RMHC Canada, we wanted to recognize the communities that have provided the most support just by enjoying a Happy Meal!"

Based on Happy Meal sales in 2023, McDonald’s Canada officially recognizes Langley, British Columbia as the "Happiest City".† Other top-selling cities include:

Alberta: Lethbridge
Manitoba: Thompson
Saskatchewan: Prince Albert
Ontario: Mississauga
Quebec: Gatineau
Atlantic region: Dartmouth, NS

Since 2004, a portion of the proceeds from every Happy Meal sold in Canada has helped the 16 Ronald McDonald House® locations and 19 Ronald McDonald Family Room® programs in Canada care for the overall wellbeing of families with children being treated at a nearby hospital. The Happy Meal program is one of several McDonald’s fundraising programs that have helped RMHC support more than 468,000 families across Canada.

"Every family who orders a Happy Meal gets to share a special moment together while helping to keep families with sick children close to each other and close to essential medical care they need" said Kate Horton, President and CEO, RMHC Canada. "Today, RMHC across Canada is not able to fully meet the critical needs of families due to lack of space, so as we strive to expand our services to serve more families, even the smallest contribution makes a big difference for those in need across our communities."

McDonald’s Canada along with its independent franchisees, crew, corporate employees, supplier partners and guests, proudly support RMHC every single day, through the sale of Happy Meals and RMHC Cookies*, as well as through donations via the coin boxes and through Round Up at the kiosk. In 2022, McDonald’s Canada set a goal to raise, together with its independent franchisees and guests, over $70 million for RMHC by 2026. This will help to significantly grow the number of bedrooms for families across Canada over the next 5 years (2024-2028), from 552 bedrooms today to more than 893 bedrooms.

To donate to RMHC in your community or learn more about RMHC Canada, visit: rmhc.ca/donate.

*A portion of the proceeds from the sale of every Happy Meal® and every RMHC® Cookie helps support Ronald McDonald House® and Ronald McDonald Family Room® programs across Canada.

†Based on average daily units of Happy Meal sales from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023 on a per city basis, divided it by the total population of that city. Population data sourced from Statistics Canada 2021 Canadian Census Data (1)

About McDonald’s Canada

In 1967, Canada welcomed the first McDonald’s restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Limited has become part of the Canadian fabric, serving close to one million guests every day. In both franchised and corporate-owned restaurants, nearly 100,000 people are employed from coast to coast to coast, and more than 90 per cent of McDonald’s 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent franchisees. Of the almost $1 billion spent on food, more than 85 per cent is purchased from suppliers in Canada. For more information on McDonald’s Canada, visit mcdonalds.ca.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities® Canada (RMHC^® Canada)
In Canada, 2/3 families live outside a city with a children’s hospital and must travel for treatment if their child is seriously ill. The impact of RMHC across Canada is far reaching as today, 1 in 4 Canadians have either stayed with RMHC or know someone who has. The 16 Ronald McDonald House® locations provide out-of-town families with a home to stay at while their child is being treated at a nearby hospital, while the 19 Ronald McDonald Family Room® programs provide a comfortable place for families to rest and recharge, right inside hospitals. For more information, please visit rmhccanada.ca.