SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - If you’ve ever purchased a Shamrock Shake from McDonald’s or had a bite at any of their locations, your meal could be helping local families stay close to their sick children.

Over the month of March, for every Shamrock Shake sold, 25 cents was donated to a local Ronald McDonald House. Western Mass News has more on how Ronald McDonald houses continue to help families in need.

The Ronald McDonald house has been helping families for over 50 years. Just a few weeks ago, Samantha Williams had her fifth child. Days later, her newborn son needed surgery and was transferred to Springfield, “when I was in the hospital, I was worried, how am I going to stay close to having a baby if he needs a long stay in the NICU?”

Instead of making the hour and a half drive from Athol to Springfield to see her son, Williams is now 4 minutes away. All because of the Ronald McDonald House, “Yeah, when people round up their order or just throw change in the bin, they’re supporting the staff that keeps this house comfortable, they’re supporting all the snacks and food that are available to us at any time of the day or night,” Williams said.

A stay at the Ronald Mcdonald House costs about 150 dollars a night. The organization tells us 73 percent of families can’t afford it.

“We never turn anyone away. It is important when you have a sick child, you have a sick family. And it is important to us to ensure that families remain close to their child during this medical crisis,” Michelle D’Amore leads the Ronald McDonald House for Connecticut and western Massachusetts. She told us during the Shamrock Shake campaign; many employees took a hands on approach, “I’m not quite sure how many I made, but my technique got really good by the end of the promotion.”

Year-round campaigns do more than just raise money—they raise awareness, “So we did have a lot of fun with that. And, you know, sharing with the customers what we’re doing was an element that provided opportunity and into the community for understanding of who we are and what we do. Even though the Shamrock Shake campaign is over, you can still help out your neighbors in Western Mass, for every happy meal purchased 5 cents is donated to the Ronald McDonald House,” D’Amore said

Mark McBee is the owner and operator of the West Springfield Mcdonald’s off of Riverdale Street. He said one of the best things about being an owner is giving back to the community, “The feeling of meeting those families and being at the houses, it really, it gives you all that energy and makes you understand that the world is bigger than just you.”

McBee said its just as important for employees to be able to expplain to customers where their donations are going, “It’s a constant challenge all the time to make sure our customers understand that everything that they donate goes directly to these houses. It’s work that we enjoy doing, but it’s really never-ending.”

The Ronald McDonald House said it will always be here for your family.

The next seasonal campaign you can participate in, benefiting the Ronald McDonald House, is “give a little love.” This fundraiser runs across New England from April 20th through May 3rd. Customers are encouraged to make small donations through in-store heart displays.

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