View Royal charity grateful to McHappy Day supporters

Employees at a Vancouver Island McDonald's pose between serving customers for McHappy Day.

A View Royal charity that relies entirely on donor dollars to support families with a home away from home is among the beneficiaries of a global fast food chain’s McHappy Day campaign.

“We are so excited about McHappy Day today,” says Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island’s director of development, Shelley Engelhardt.

The foundation says McDonald’s Restaurants’ annual campaign has raised more than $117,000 for Jeneece Place in View Royal since 2013.

“We recognize the need in the community for keeping families together when their kids are in hospital or needing hospital care,” says Engelhardt. “Many families that we welcome have had to travel away from their home communities.”

Until end of day May 8, proceeds from every food and beverage sale at McDonald’s goes to Ronald McDonald House Charities.

In Saanich, Bell colleagues from Virgin Radio got behind the counter to help take orders and serve customers as part of the event.

“It’s wonderful. We love supporting it every single year. And it’s also a little nostalgic because I actually used to work at a McDonald’s when I was a teenager,” says 107.3 Virgin Radio host Bailey Parker.

“I think I’m doing OK. I’ve sold a couple of pairs of socks,” says Parker’s co-host Johnny Novak. “We’ve got the Hamburglars. We’ve got the Nugget Buddies – good to see them, some nugget representation. And then obviously the Grimace socks are always the hottest seller.”

People can also support the campaign by buying paper hearts at the drive-thru or through the McDonald’s app. Delivery fees have been waived through several service providers such as DoorDash and Skip.

Over the past 30 years, McDonald’s Canada says more than $100-million has been raised through McHappy Day in support of children and families across Canada.