The green shamrock milkshakes were begun as a special fundraiser and the first Ronald McDonald House was opened. There are now 180 Houses worldwide, in 9 countries. Each House is an independent corporation, with its own Board of Directors. The only requirement for staying at the Philadelphia House is that you must have a child being treated at one of the area hospitals and you must live 40 miles away. Our House has 43 bedrooms, so a full house is 43 families.
Dinner is provided almost every night of the year, donated by individuals, groups, or businesses.
Those are the Philadelphia House's guidelines. One idea that the Philadelphia House decided to adopt this fall of '96 is the recycling of aluminum tabs. BUT the tab is made of a more pure, highgrade aluminum. It is clean, convenient, and ecological. Through my own investigations, it sounds like the Minneapolis House may be the most successful with this program.