FORT WORTH -- Helping a family focus on an ailing child is the mission of Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth, which serves about 1,000 families a year. The organization doesn't have to do it alone, thanks to an early Christmas gift delivered Tuesday at Texas Motor Speedway.
The home-away-from-home for families of children receiving medical treatment at Fort Worth hospitals was one of 17 North Texas groups that shared in more than $500,000 at the Speedway Children's Charities annual Christmas tree lighting.Other groups from Tarrant County included Cook Children's Health Foundation, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth, the Tarrant Area Food Bank, TCU KinderFrogs, Prevent Blindness Texas and Cancer Care Services.The "partner grants," which range from $6,000 to $25,000 and total $267,000, are crucial for all the groups, said Bob Lohman, board president for the Ronald McDonald House."A lot of people don't realize that Ronald McDonald House is 95 percent funded locally," Lohman said. "So we rely on the generosity of folks like Speedway Children's Charities."Lohman said his organization helped 990 families last year and expects to help 1,300 next year. But to do that, it needs to complete an addition of 20 rooms to the home at 1004 Seventh Ave. in the Fort Worth medical district.The grant has been earmarked for food services, Lohman said."And without this support, we couldn't do that," he said.Two "founders grants" went to Christian Community Action in Lewisville, $149,031, and Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas, $133,140.Since 1997, the speedway's charity has given $8.5 million to nonprofits that focus on children. The efforts have helped an estimated 2 million kids, enough to fill the speedway 15 times, TMS President Eddie Gossage said.The brisk weather, with temperatures in the 40s, was warmed by holiday refreshments, and the Chisholm Trail Middle School choir from Rhome performed Christmas carols.After the tree lighting, about 100 children received early Christmas presents -- two Mattel toys and a pair of Justin cowboy boots, courtesy of Toyota of Fort Worth.Bill Miller, 817-390-7684Twitter: @Bill_MillerSTHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
