It all began in 1973 when Philadelphia Eagles football player Fred Hill and his wife, Fran, learned that their daughter, Kim, had leukemia. While receiving treatment at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, they met other families who drove hours to the hospital to be with their children, only to sleep overnight in waiting room chairs and eat from vending machines because they had nowhere else to go.
Fred and Fran Hill decided to do something for these families, teaming up with the Philadelphia Eagles, Dr. Audrey Evans, and local McDonald’s owner/operators. McDonald’s gift of Shamrock Shake proceeds made it possible to purchase and restore a house near the hospital where these families could stay, and the first Ronald McDonald House was born.
