Gala Attendees Enjoyed an Enchanted Evening Benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities® of San Diego
San Diego CA— Contributions from the 10th annual ROMP gala and Hoehn Motors Luxury Car Raffle raised $600,000 in net proceeds for Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego, which provides supportive services for families with a critically ill or injured child in a local hospital.
ROMP Enchanted: The Magic of Hope, held on October 12 at The Fairmont Grand Del Mar, invited more than 400 guests to “follow the path” to a magical garden-inspired evening. Funds from ROMP will help strengthen families with a hospitalized child and bolster their psychological well-being by keeping families close and providing the care they need. The event featured cocktail hour with theme inspired signature cocktails and a silent auction, musical entertainment by NRG Music & Productions, gourmet food by The Fairmont Grand Del Mar, multiple enchanted acrobat performances, a live auction and paddle raise.
During the evening, various donors committed more than $388,400 during the Fund a Family portion of the program, providing vital funds for families to stay at our San Diego Ronald McDonald House. Exciting live auction items included trips to Africa, the Bahamas, Alaska, Hawaii and exclusive dining and sporting events.
The 10th Annual ROMP also celebrated the successful conclusion of the House’s “More Than a Meal” campaign which was launched at ROMP 2018. The JMS Fund along with the Joseph A.W. Clayes III Charitable Trust were recognized for their leadership matching gifts to the campaign that funded the complete renovation of the Joseph Clayes III Great Room at the House. These two gifts generated $1 million in matching gifts. The Clayes Trust match also created the Joseph Clayes III Meal Program Endowment. This new endowment will ensure support of the Ronald McDonald House meal program for years to come. All together the ‘More Than a Meal’ campaign raised $2.5 million dollars by more than 1,000 donors.
In addition, Paul Cianci of Cypress, CA was announced as the grand prize winner of the ninth annual Hoehn Motors Luxury Car Raffle, which offered the choice of one of three luxury car packages or $75,000 cash. The grand prize was graciously donated by Bill and Susan Hoehn and Hoehn Motors Carlsbad.
Mary and Hudson Drake served as honorary chairs of this year’s ROMP gala. The Drakes founded the inaugural ROMP Gala in 2009 to raise funds to support families with critically ill or injured children receiving treatment at San Diego area hospitals. Throughout the gala’s decade of fundraising, the Drakes have loyally stayed involved with the event, while enlisting their personal network to also become involved with the charity. The Drakes have made philanthropy a top priority throughout their lives and have a strong passion for giving back to children.
“It was a great honor for Hudson and me to serve as honorary chairs and help raise funds to ensure that the House continues to be an emotional and physical sanctuary for families,” said Mary Drake. “After witnessing close friends rely on the House’s services, we saw the many challenges involved with caring for a hospitalized child and quickly understood why the House and its services are an essential resource to families.”
The success of the event can be attributed to the dedicated efforts of ROMP executive committee members Jessie Green, Leslie Mannes, Candice Silva, and Michelle and Josh Rathweg, past guests of Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego.
The event sponsors included Nancy Stanley and Family as the title sponsor, Hoehn Carlsbad as the underwriter for the Luxury Car Raffle, and Sky Zone San Marcos as the program sponsor. Additional sponsors included Lisa and Karl Betyar, Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, City National Bank, NuFace, and The GEO Group Foundation, Inc.
“We are grateful for the generosity received at ROMP and cannot thank our supporters enough for their commitment to the 15,000 families served by the Ronald McDonald House each year,” said Chuck Day, president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego. “Community support is critical to providing care and support to families going through the unimaginable, especially as the number of families in need exceeds our capacity. Donations, like those from ROMP, will continue to allow us to provide families with a range of services including meals, lodging and laundry facilities to restore a sense of normalcy during a time of turmoil.”
About Ronald McDonald House Charities
Founded in 1980, Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego provides a “home-away-from-home,” which keeps families close to one another and the care they need when their child is being treated for serious, often life-threatening conditions at local hospitals. San Diego’s Ronald McDonald House was specifically designed to provide the necessities of home – including 56 bedrooms, a kitchen and a children’s play area – to help strengthen families and bolster their psychological well-being during difficult times regardless of their situation or ability to pay. The Ronald McDonald House creates an emotional and physical sanctuary for nearly 15,000 family members each year. To learn more, visit rmhcsd.org.