Alliance backs McDonalds charity

The meat cooperative announced last week that it would be providing support to the charity by sponsoring several of its Supper Club and ‘Host a Roast’ events.

“As a Ronald McDonald House South Island partner, we will be providing a mix of financial, product and in-kind support to the Supper Club events and Host a Road initiative,” says Alliance Group general manager people and safety Chris Selbie.

He told Rural News the exact amount of support the cooperative would provide was confidential.

Selbie believe Alliance’s farmer shareholders will welcome the partnership.

“A number of our shareholders’ families have been directly supported by Ronald McDonald House in the past,” he says.

Chief executive David Surveyor says Alliance has supported the charity for some time “through a number of product donations, including meat for the recent ‘Miles Toyota presents A Day at the Polo’ event, so we are delighted to be forging closer ties with this important charity.”

He says both Ronald McDonald House South Island and Alliance share common values of compassion, care and communication along with a commitment to the wellbeing of rural communities.

“We are excited to now be formally working together,” Surveyor says.

Ronald McDonald House South Island chief executive Mandy Kennedy says the charity is “delighted” to have the opportunity to work with Alliance.

“It costs $1.4 million annually to operate our facilities, this includes or 26-bedroom Christchurch House and the Family Rooms at both Southland and Christchurch Hospitals.

“That is why it is so important to raise funds through events like Supper Club with the support of Alliance Group,” Kennedy says.

Ronald McDonald House South Island operates three programmes in the South Island – Ronald McDonald House in Christchurch, a Ronald McDonald Family Room in Southland Hospital, Invercargill, and a Family Room in the new Christchurch Hospital building is due to open this year.