EAST LANSING, MI — Twins Jacqueline and Tobi Morton of Mount Pleasant love to run. That’s one of the reasons they were asked to lead an annual 5K fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan. The other reason is the nonprofit helped their family at a critical moment in their lives.
This past month, dozens of kids and adults came together at the MSU Federal Credit Union Headquarters in East Lansing for the 23rd annual Run for The House, a 5K and 10K fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan.
The Morton twins, who are also best friends, say they wanted to take part in the annual run because they know the history their parents have with the Ronald McDonald House.
Their dad, Ken Morton, says he is forever thankful for the support he received from the nonprofit.
“The twins were born early. A day and a half after Jacqueline was in the hospital, she started to have breathing problems, and she needed to be transferred down to Sparrow Hospital," Ken said. "So, the doctor suggested that I stay at the Ronald McDonald House while my wife Diane recovered at the hospital in Alma with Tobi.”
Carolyn Hurst, the executive director of Ronald McDonald Charities Mid-Michigan, says the nonprofit's mission is to help families like the Mortons, and the walk/run helps pay for the services.
“The run for the house generates about $45,000 annually to go towards our operating budget to make sure that families have a private bedroom, bathroom, hot meals every day, on-site laundry and all of their access 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, while their child is in the hospital receiving medical treatment," Hurst said.
Ken says he will never forget the kindness his family received.
“The Ronald McDonald House is a Good Neighbor because they are there when you need them. And a lot of times you don't think you're going to need it, but you wind up needing the Ronald McDonald House," Ken said. "It was there, and it filled a special role for us. We couldn’t have done it without them."
Ken's wife, Diane, agrees.
“The Ronald McDonald House is a Good Neighbor because they offered a spot for our family.” Diane said. "It was one of our worst times of need. As he said, we weren't expecting to need something like that. It was a savior. You think other people are going to need it, but we needed help, and they were there for us."
The Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan serves anywhere from 100 to 150 families per year. Some stays are just overnight, but Hurst says the longest stay was 418 days.
For helping families when they need it the most, we want to say thank you to the Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan, this week’s Good Neighbor.
If you would like more information on the Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan, visit their website.
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