A Father... A Hospital Bench... A Simple Idea.
Our History
In 1974, Philadelphia Eagles tight end Fred Hill wasn’t thinking about football.
He was thinking about his three-year-old daughter, Kim.
As she underwent treatment for leukemia at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Fred and his wife, Fran, spent long days and nights in waiting rooms and hospital corridors. They slept on benches. They watched other parents doing the same, families who had traveled far from home, who couldn’t afford hotel rooms, who were simply trying to stay close to their children during the hardest fight of their lives.
They saw the problem clearly.
Families needed more than medical care.
They needed a place to stay.
Fred rallied his teammates and organization (GM Jimmy Murray) . Hospital leaders stepped in. Dr. Audrey Evans, head of pediatric oncology, shared her vision for a home nearby where families could rest without leaving their child’s side.
Local McDonald’s partners joined the effort, launching the first Shamrock Shake fundraiser to help turn the idea into reality.
Together, they opened the very first Ronald McDonald House.
It wasn’t just a building.
It was dignity.
It was compassion.
It was the belief that families belong together, especially in crisis.
From One House to a Global Movement
That simple idea spread.
What began as one House near one hospital became a global network serving families across continents. Each House remains locally governed, community-supported, and driven by the same founding belief:
When families stay together, children are stronger.
Carrying the Mission in the Coastal Empire
In 1987, that mission came to Savannah.
Ronald McDonald House Coastal Empire opened its doors to serve families traveling for pediatric medical care in our region. What began as an act of compassion has become a lasting responsibility, one we carry every day.
Today, we operate:
- The Ronald McDonald House
- Ronald McDonald Family Room programs inside 2 partner hospitals
- The Hospitality Cart (The Cart with Heart) expanding access to all children and families in our Children’s Hospital
The faces may change.
The cities may differ.
But the promise remains the same.
