Ronald McDonald Family Retreat, Rotorua

Creating special memories for special families 
New Zealand’s very first Ronald McDonald Family Retreat officially opened on 14 February 2009.  Situated on the shores of Lake Rotorua at Ngongotaha and 10 minutes drive from the centre of Rotorua, the Retreat provides one week’s free accommodation and is specifically designed for families:·         
- who have a child/ren (up to and including 20 years) with a chronic/long term illness
- that have suffered a recent loss of a child
- have a parent with a life threatening illness 

The Family Retreat consists of two 3-bedroom houses; Lions Lodge and R&B Lodge. Both houses are identical and located on the same property. They have been purpose built, wheel chair accessible and fully equipped. All you will need to bring is yourselves, food and items that your family will require during your stay. 

The ground floor has open plan living areas, including a large bedroom with a sliding wall so in the event of a family member being unwell; they are still able to interact with the family. There are two bedrooms located upstairs. 

The accommodation sleeps eight people comfortably with two double beds, three single beds and a rollaway. 

Length of Stay
Each family can stay for a maximum of seven days.  Out of fairness to everyone, the houses can be booked for one week at a time, from Saturday to Friday. 

Approval Process
Families applying to stay at the Family Retreat must complete and return the necessary application forms. All applications must be approved by the selection panel. Upon approval, a confirmation letter and booking reference will be mailed to the applicants.  No correspondence will be entered into and the panel decision will be final. 

To receive the application forms and guidelines, please contact Phone: 0800 11 22 82 Email:   retreat@rmhc.org.nz

A big thank you

The completion of the Ronald McDonald Family Retreat was made possible because of the amazing support we received from our major donors, businesses, individuals and community groups. Ronald McDonald House Charities acknowledge and thank the supporters shown below:

The completion of the Ronald McDonald Family Retreat has been made possible by the support of the following businesses:
Amalgamated Roofing Ltd, Aqua Vent Mechanical Services Ltd, Audio-Visual Precision Ltd, Baywide Concrete Placers Ltd, Best Insulation, Bill Holden Design & Landscape, BOP Temporary Fencing Ltd, BSK Engineers, Bunnings Warehouse, Cactus Security, Campbell Contracting, Carter Holt Harvey Timber; Laserframe; Ecoply; HySPAN, Cintesi, Colour TEX, Davidsons Doors & Blinds, Devon Lifestyle Ltd, Dimonds Rotorua, Duncan Realty, Feltex Carpets, Firth Industries Ltd, Floorscape Limited, gen-I, Hepburn Electrical, James Hardie RAB Board; Titan, John Gordon, Joinery Direct, KLM Joinery Ltd, Louvre TEC, LV Martin & Son Ltd, MacMurdo Electrical, McBeth Plumbing & Commercial, Mike Steiner Interior Design, MTEC Surveyors & Planners, National Glass, New Zealand Temporary Fence Ltd, NZC Tileworks Ltd, Palmers Gardenworld, Plumbing World Ltd, Resene Paints, Ron Preston Plasterers, Rotorua District Council, Rotorua Joinery, Roy Pocock Block Laying, Sleepyhead Manufacturing Co Ltd, Soroptomist Intl Regional Nth, Tasman Insulation; Pink Batts, TEL Import Ltd, Tower Scaffolding Ltd, Transom Engineering, Urban Green, Warmup Heating Systems BOP, Waste Management Ltd, Watchdog Security Services, Winstone Wallboards Ltd; GIB.

Lions Public Fundraising Appeal The following supporters have made a cornerstone contribution and include:
Bethlehem Te Puna Lions Club, Blockhouse Bay Lions Club, Bulls Lions Club, Carterton Central Lions Club, Chartwell Lions Club, Clearwater Cove Lions Club, Dannevirke Host  Lions Club, Dinsdale Lions Club, Edgecumbe Lions Club, Christchurch Ferrymead Lions Clubs, Fielding Host Lions Club, Fielding Kowhai Lions  Club, Foxton TeAwahou Lions Club, Geyserland Lions Club, Greerton Lions Club, Hammer Springs Lions Club, Harp of Erin Lions Club; Auckland, Hauraki Plains Lioness Club, Havelock North Lions Club, Hillcrest Lions Club, Huntly Lions Club, Kairanga Lions Club, Katikati Lions Club, Katikati Pakeke Lions Club, Kelston Lions Club, Light House Wairoa Lions Club, Mairangi Bay Lions Club, Marton Lions Club, Mangakahia Lions Club, Mt Maunganui Lioness Club, Mt Maunganui Lions Club, Papamoa Lions Club, Nelson Haven Lioness, New Plymouth Pakeke Lions Club, Ngaruawhahia Lions Club, Ngongotaha Lions Club, Ohope Lions Club, Ohope Pohutukawa Branch Lions Club, Okato Lions Club, Omokoroa & District Pakeke Lions Club, Palmerston North Heartland Lions Club, Palmerston North Papaioea Lions Club, Pahiatua Lions Club, Papamoa Lions Club, Patea Lions Club, Putaruru Lions Club, Rakaia Lions Club, Reporoa Lions Club, Rimutaka Lions Club, Rotorua Central Lions Club, Rotorua East Lions Club, Rotorua Host Lions Club, Ruwai Lions Club, South Hamilton Lioness Club, St Andrews Lions Club, Sulphur City Lions Club, Sunshine Coast Lions Club, Takapau Lions Club, Tamaki Lions Club, Taneatua Lions Club, Taradale - Napier Scinde Lions Club, Taupo Lakeland Lions Club, Taupo Lions Club, Taupo Pakeke Lions Club, Tauranga Sunrise Lions Club, Tauranga Harbour City Lions Club, Tauranga Host Lions Club, Te Puke Kiwi  Coast Lions Clubs, Temuka Pakeke Lions Club, Tokoroa City Lions Club, Tokoroa Host Lions Club, Tokoroa and District Lions Club, Tokoroa Pakeke Lions Club, Manawatu Town & Country Lions Club, Turangi Lions Club, Waihi Lions Club, Waikite Ngakuru Lions Club, Warkworth Lions Club, West Auckland Lions Club, Whakatane Kopeopeo Lions Club, Whakatane Pakeke Lions Club, Lions District Banking Trust, Lloyd Morgan Lions Clubs Charitable Trust

Public Donations
A&J. P.A Steadman, Adrian Holden, Andy Stretton, Bank of New Zealand, Bunnings Rotorua, Colleen Stevens in memory of Brett Stevens, Don Filer, Flying Start Childcarre, Geyersland 4WD Club Safari Weekend, HerBusiness Network Rotorua, L Heard, Mita Mohi, Paula King, Quota Club of Rotorua, R & J Sommerville, Ross and Wendy Allen, Rotorua Sunrise Rotary Club, Soroptimist Rotorua, Rotorua Citizens Club, Stuart Crockart, Summit (Combined Service Groups of Rotorua), Sunset Primary School, TakeNote Rotorua, Wellness Expo, Whakarewarewa School 

Sponsors of Public Appeal
Advocate Print, Bank of New Zealand, Copies Etcetera, Craft Warehouse, Destination Rotorua, E-C Solutions, PhotoArts, Rainbow Quilters, Rydges Rotorua Hotel, Stay & Play Rotorua

The following supporters have made a cornerstone contribution and include:
Aaron Prohl, Absolutely Fabulous of Tokoroa,  Alden & Wendy Arden, Alicia Zane & Marcus Baird, Alisha, Kristen, Kent, Helaina, Allan & Glenys Westlake, Amanda Lee Kirk, Andrews Scott Cotton Architects, Angela Stapp & Jared Pirret, Anna & Denis Wood, AWHI Credit Union, B J Currie, Be strong; Cassidy Chaytor, Beverley Sinclair, Bless This Place; M.A. & R.M. Scott, Blitz Hair Design, BP Oil NZ Ltd, Brown Family - Whakatane McDonald's Family Restaurant, Bunny Ormsby Family, C K O Chiang, Caitlin & Kendra Leathem, Campbell Family, Central City Quality Edu-Care; Pukaki Street, Rotorua, Central City Quality Edu-Care; Pukuatua Street, Rotorua, Chandra Family, Chris & Amy Trew, Chris & Pat Leslie, Chris Chan, Crosby Property Services, Danny & Karin Power, Darren & Jacinta Rowland, Daryl, Michelle, Tia, Kobe & Chase Christie, Dave, Fiona, Cam, Yvette Jones, David Kemp, Dawson Family, Dr T.D. Matheson, DRP Contractors, Duke & Sneddon Families, Eastland Group, Ed & Julie Connolly, Euro Electrical & Security Ltd, Evett Family, Fenton Park Bible Church, Gareth Cameron, Gateway Christian Centre, George Family, GJ & GM King, Tokoroa, God Bless All; Love Yvonne Oakman, Habitat for Humanity (Rotorua) Ltd, Hayden Tinsley, Henderson RSA; Womens Section, In loving memory of Gillian (Cookson) Johnston, In Memory of Brylee Kent, In memory of Kishore Kapadia, In Memory of Martin Bate, My loved Son-in-Law, from Jean Goldsmith, In Memory of Michael & Alison, In memory of Michael Erceg, Inn-Dispensable Limited, Jacqui Pratt, Jane Ball, Jenny Duncan & Neil Cotton, Jenny Galey, Jolley Good Bobcat Services, Karla Williams, Keep the faith; Abbie Chaytor, Lindsay & Sharon Porter, Love and Hope, Jill Goulter-Ward, Lysbeth & Cliff Soanes, Margaret Chorlton, Mark Hawthorne, Mark, Claire, Liam & Emily Sims, Maureen Kelly, Maxwell / Jones Family, Maxxium New Zealand, May you be well.  BJ & RG Waddingham, McDonald's Family Restaurant TeAwamutu; Management, McDonald's Family Restaurant Tokoroa, McDonald's Family Restaurant; Andersons Bay, Dunedin, McDonald's Family Restaurant; Basin Reserve, Wellington, McDonald's Family Restaurant; Courtenay Central, Wellington, McDonald's Family Restaurant; Dunedin North, McDonald's Family Restaurant; Eastgate, Christchurch, McDonald's Family Restaurant; Fairy Springs, Rotorua, McDonald's Family Restaurant; Fenton Street, Rotorua, McDonald's Family Restaurant; George St, Dunedin, McDonald's Family Restaurant; Kelston, Auckland, McDonald's Family Restaurant; Lambton Quay, Wellington, McDonald's Family Restaurant; Lincoln Road, Auckland, McDonald's Family Restaurant; Linwood, Christchurch, McDonald's Family Restaurant; Madras Street,Christchurch, McDonald's Family Restaurant; Masterton, McDonald's Family Restaurant; Petone, McDonald's Family Restaurant; South City Foodcourt, Christchurch, McDonald's Family Restaurant; Taranaki Street, Wellington, McDonald's Family Restaurant; Taupo, McDonald's Family Restaurant; Thames, McDonald's Family Restaurant; Tokoroa, McDonald's Family Restaurant; Wainuiomata, McDonald's Family Restaurant; Wanganui, McDonald's Family Restaurant; Westgate, Auckland, Mike & Sue Carson, Miss A A Mu, Mr & Mrs Body, Murray, Sharon, Christina & Michael Fleet, Ngongotaha Medical Centre, Off Road NZ, Opus International Consultants, Owen Smith & Toni Richardson, Owhata Primary School, Pettigrew Family, Philip Rider; Pray & Jesus will love you & be your friend, PlaceMakers – Rotorua, Pohio Family, Pukekohe Indian Ladies Group, Radioworks, Richmond Restaurants Limited, Rob & Linley Parry, Rotorua Agricultural & Pastoral Association Inc., Rotorua Motorcycle Club, Roy & Karen Thomson, Rush Family, Russ & Beryl Woolley & Family, Russell Desa, S & V Chandra Investments Ltd, Saleo Limited, Sam & Angela Maharaj, Sandy Evans, Sarah Hood, Shelley & Andrew Jenkins, Spencer Wallace, Suffolk Trading Limited, Teresa Foster, Terry & Lorraine Moore, The Garner Family, The Whitehead Family, Tina & Randal Leach, Tokoroa Intermediate School, Tony & Andrea Feek trading as Hepburn Electrical Ltd, Tony & Nadine McLaughlin, Tristan & Robyn Hall, Vel (Velma) May Chandler To the best Mum, Now & Always Love from Kerina and Gloria, W Kyed, Wayne Black Family, Wayne, Catherine, Amy & Ben Lee With Love, The Cranston Family, Zephan & Sabrina Gates

Fundraising

Now that the houses are complete and available for families, we turn our focus to annual costs to ensure that both houses are maintained at the highest level and that all utilities are paid i.e. power, phone, gas etc.  If you would like to fundraise specifically for the Ronald McDonald Family Retreat, please contact Karinia Lee; Fundraising Manager on karinia.lee@rmhc.org.nz