|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
$3 million donation accelerates efforts to increase lodging and eliminate the waitlist for families in medical crisis
Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Florida (RMHC South Florida) today announced a $3 million gift from Kenneth C. Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel and founder of Griffin Catalyst, in support of its Hope Has a New Home Capital Campaign. In recognition of this leadership gift, the charity’s new seven-story, 54-guestroom facility, opening in early 2027, will be named the Griffin Family Campus.
The $33 million, 60,000-square-foot campus expansion addresses the severe shortage of affordable, proximal family lodging in South Florida and will allow RMHC South Florida to serve more than 420 families annually, providing 5,740 nights of comfort.
The current 31-room Ronald McDonald House is forced to turn away more than 100 families each year due to a lack of space, leaving some parents to sleep in hospital chairs or cramped cars, while their children receive life-saving treatment.
“Ken Griffin’s gift represents a major breakthrough in easing pediatric lodging bottlenecks,” said Soraya Rivera-Moya, Executive Director of RMHC South Florida. “When a child is fighting a complex illness, the presence of their family is a clinical necessity that drives better outcomes. This gift allows us to replace our ‘waitlist’ with a ‘welcome,’ giving many more families a home away from home to rest, recover, and stay together as they heal.”
“Excellent medical care is strengthened when families are able to be together,” said Griffin. “The extraordinary new campus of the Ronald McDonald House will let more families stay together during the moments that matter most.”
The Griffin Family Campus, rising at the Jackson Memorial Medical Campus, will nearly double capacity to ensure that thousands of families needing critical pediatric care have a sanctuary just steps from their child’s bedside or close by. For Griffin, this gift highlights a continued commitment to Miami’s trajectory as a premier destination for medical excellence and family-centered care.
Griffin joins an esteemed group of supporters committed to helping the charity keep families together, including the University of Miami, BADIA, McDonald’s South Florida Operators Association, Sunshine Gasoline Distributors, and the Batchelor Foundation.
With this $3 million gift, the Hope Has a New Home Capital Campaign has now raised $28 million of its $33 million goal. Those interested in supporting RMHC South Florida to close the final fundraising gap and follow the progress of the Griffin Family Campus can learn more at rmhcsouthflorida.org/capital-
About Ronald McDonald House Charities® of South Florida
Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of South Florida is a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) corporation that creates, finds, and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and their families. RMHC helps families with ill or injured children stay together and close to the medical care their child needs at leading hospitals worldwide. RMHC programs not only provide access to quality health care, they enable family-centered care, ensuring families are fully supported and actively involved in their children’s care. For more information, visit rmhcsouthflorida.org. Follow RMHC on Twitter, Facebook, Instagra
About Griffin Catalyst
Griffin Catalyst is the civic engagement initiative of Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin, encompassing his philanthropic and community impact efforts. Tackling the world’s greatest challenges in innovative, action-oriented, and evidence-driven ways, Griffin Catalyst is dedicated to expanding opportunity and improving lives across six areas of focus: Education, Science & Medicine, Upward Mobility, Freedom & Democracy, Enterprise & Innovation, and Communities. For more information, visit griffincatalyst.org.
