The Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Rio Grande Valley (RMHC-RGV) sponsors several programs every year to help raise funds to pay for living expenses incurred by families staying at their facilities. The Valley facility located in Harlingen offers a home-away-from-home for families that have children receiving medical care at the hospital. The most popular program supporting the effort is the Pull Tab Collection Program.
Elementary schools in the Rio Grande Valley participate and compete in a Pull Tab Campaign every year. This campaign allows elementary children to give back to their community and learn about charity, recycling, teamwork, and leadership. The program takes very little time but it makes a huge impact on families staying at the Ronald McDonald House (RMH).
This year there are almost 50 schools throughout the Valley participating. The school that donates the most tabs receives a visit from Ronald McDonald, himself, and a traveling trophy.
The collection of pull tabs started in 1987 in St. Paul, Minnesota by a VFW Post to raise funds for the area RMH. Since then hundreds of millions of pull tabs have been collected generating close to a million dollars nationwide. Over the past 10 years, the program has raised thousands of dollars for RMHC-RGV.
Why Pull Tabs?
Pull tabs are clean, compact, and contain a higher quality of aluminum. Pull tabs are also very easy to collect, appeal to all ages, ecologically smart, convenient, project friendly, easy to remove from cans, and every little bit adds up. Pull tabs can be collected by schools, community and civic groups, private clubs and organizations, restaurants, or any other group or business that wants to give back to their community.
The tabs are collected by volunteers twice a year and taken to the RMH in Harlingen. The RMH takes the tabs to a recycling center that pays them a competitive market rate. All of the proceeds allow the RMHC-RGV to help Valley families stay at the RMH. Valley families consist of 90 percent of the visitors to the RMH in Harlingen. In 2007, 216 families visited the RMH.
The RMH asks for only $10 from each family for each night they stay in the house. It actually costs over $100 per family, per night.
Approximately 31 pounds of pull tabs will cover the requested nightly fee for two families; 106 pounds will help cover one weekly water bill; 154 pounds of tabs will cover the full expenses the RMH incurs for one family for one night; and 533 pounds of tabs helps pay for one week of electricity. Last year one school donated over 1,600 pounds of tabs.
Ways to help
The RMHC-RGV survives with the help of volunteers and donations. Volunteers contributed more than 5,000 hours last year. Help does not have to come from donations of money.
Businesses can become “Everyday Heroes” by donating goods and services.
Recycling is a beneficial way to help the RMHC-RGV. Along with pull tabs, the RMHC-RGV also collects ink cartridges and toners to help pay for lodging expenses.
Also, a company based in Dallas gives money to the RMHC-RGV based on the amount of clothing that is collected in collection boxes located at Valley businesses. Acceptable items to donate include women’s, men’s and children’s clothing in wearable condition and shoes, linens and household items.
Sanchez Elementary in McAllen is also collecting box tops that are on most General Mills products to raise funds to buy Christmas presents for children who will be spending their holidays in the hospital.
Volunteer opportunities include a Cookie Brigade – bring your own ingredients and bake cakes, brownies, cookies or other sweets for families visiting; Make-A-Meal – bring ingredients and make a warm meal for visiting families; House Decorating – donate decorations to dress the House for the holidays; House Volunteer – help staff with general cleaning and special house assignments (shifts available); and Office Volunteer – help with reception and clerical duties (shifts available).
Future plans
In the next five years or less, RMHC-RGV plans to expand its services to the Valley by establishing five family rooms at area hospitals for families to stay in while their child is receiving care at the hospital. A family room is similar to what is provided by the RMH, but within the walls of the hospital. Some of the rooms will include overnight sleeping accommodations. They will all include a lounge, kitchen and bathroom facilities.
The first room will open up at Edinburg Children’s Hospital followed by Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen. Other locations currently in the planning phase are Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco, McAllen Medical Center, and Valley Baptist Medical Center in Brownsville.
This project will allow RMHC-RGV to assist more families every year. The five new facilities will cost $1.8 million to construct. To date, $1.35 million has been raised.
More information
To donate, find out more information, or about volunteer opportunities, contact Mary Ramirez at 956-412-7200 or email, Maryatrmhs@aol.com. More information about the pull tab program is online at www.ronaldmcdonaldrgv.com/Eng-Pull-Tab. General information about the RMHC-RGV, and other ways to help the RMH, can be found at www.ronaldmcdonaldrgv.com. RMHC-RGV is located in Harlingen at 1720 Treasure Hills Blvd.
Currently there are 265 Ronald McDonald Houses operating in 28 countries. The houses offer more than 6,000 rooms nightly for families with sick children in hospitals.
| Elementary School | Mailing Address | City | Phone | Contact |
| Episcopal Day School | 34 North Coria | Brownsville | 542-5231 | Sharon Putegnat |
| First Baptist School | 1600 Boca Chica Blvd. | Brownsville | 542-4854 | Tina Hays |
| Truman Price Elementary | 116 North 10th St. | Donna | 464-1306 | Mary Alice Resendez |
| Carmen V. Avila Elementary | 9205 N. Alamo Rd. | Edinburg | 289-2307 | Maggie Aguilar |
| Discovery School | 1711 W. Alberton | Edinburg | 381-1117 | Madeline Ruiz |
| Freddy Gonzalez Elementary | 2401 S. Sugar Rd. | Edinburg | 289-2520 | Judith Reeve |
| Robert E. Lee Elementary | 1215 W. Sprague | Edinburg | 289-2342 | Nelda Flores |
| Austin Elementary School | 700 E. Austin Sve. | Harlingen | 427-3060 | Tammy Schmidt-Swope |
| Ben Milam Elementary | 1215 Rangerville Rd. | Harlingen | 427-3150 | Kathy Miller |
| Bonham Elementary School | 2400 E. Jefferson | Harlingen | 427-3070 | Magda Gonzalez |
| Calvary Christian School | 1815 N. 7th Street | Harlingen | 425-1882 | Ruth Ann Newby |
| Crockett Elementary School | 1406 W. Jefferson | Harlingen | 427-3090 | Belia Cantu |
| Dr. Rodriguez Elementary | 8402 W. Wilson Road | Harlingen | 430-4060 | Beulah Rangel |
| Jefferson Elementary | 601 "S" J Street | Harlingen | 427-3120 | Angela Spinaio |
| St. Alban's Episcopal Day S | 1417 E. Austin | Harlingen | 428-2326 | Amy Harrington |
| St. Paul Accademy | 1920 E. Washington | Harlingen | Ramiro Silva | |
| Stuart Place Elementary | 6701 Bus. Hwy. 83 | Harlingen | 427-3160 | Linda Sheline |
| Travis Elementary School | 600 E. Polk | Harlingen | 427-3170 | Irma Alvarez |
| Zavala Elementary School | 1111 N. "B" Street | Harlingen | 427-3200 | Debbie Ingram |
| Lyford Elementary School | P.O. Box 220 | Lyford | 347-3911 | Monica Arguelles |
| Alvarez Elementary Shool | 2606 Gumwood | McAllen | 971-4471 | Cecilia Boyd |
| Ben Milam Elementary | 3800 N. Main Street | McAllen | 971-4333 | Pamela Ramirez |
| Bonham Elementary School | 2400 Jordan | McAllen | 971-4440 | Jessica Lowe |
| Covenant Christian Academy | 4201 N. Ware Rd. | McAllen | 686-7886 | Tracy Holstein |
| Crockett Elementary School | 2112 N. Main | McAllen | 971-4414 | Linda Mata |
| Leonelo Gonzalez Elementary | 201 E. Martin | McAllen | 971-4577 | Marsha Pritchard |
| Sam Rayburn Elementary | 7000 N. Main Street | McAllen | 971-4363 | Maggie Bramble |
| Sanchez Elementary School | 2901 Incarnate Word | McAllen | 971-1100 | Karla Rodriguez |
| Carl C. Waitz Elementary | 842 W. St. Francis | Mission | 323-6600 | Pat Wolfe |
| James Leo Elementary | 1625 Roque Salinas | Mission | Lupita Conde | |
| Leal Elementary School | 1201 Bryce Drive | Mission | 323-4600 | Lupita Munoz |
| Ford Elementary School | 1200 E. Polk | Pharr | 702-5641 | Yolanda Pedroza |
| Hidalgo Park Elementary | 8700 South "I" Road | Pharr | 843-4276 | Diana E. Saenz |
| Whitney Elementary School | 1600 West Kelly | Pharr | 702-5781 | Minerva Martinez |
| Progreso West Elementary | P.O. Box 610 | Progreso | 565-1103 | Elizabeth Abad |
| Alto Bonito Elementary | 753 FM 2360 | Rio Grande City | 487-6304 | Zoila Garcia |
| Grulla Elementary School | Fort Ringgold | Rio Grande City | 487-3306 | Rachel Hernandez |
| John and Olive Hinojosa Ele. | Fort Ringgold | Rio Grande City | 487-3710 | Gia Montalvo |
| Ringgold Elementary School | Fort Ringgold | Rio Grande City | 716-6928 | Lilly Olivarez |
| Roque Guerra Jr. Elementary | 1600 W. Main | Rio Grande City | 716-6982 | Stefan Trevino |
| Emma Vera Elementary | P.O. Box 187 | Roma | 849-4552 | Matilde B. Alaniz |
| F.J. Scott Elementary | P.O. Box 187 | Roma | 849-1175 | Sergio Barrera |
| Downs Elementary School | 1302 N. Dick Dowling | San Benito | 361-6725 | Dolores Bazan |
| Landrum Elementary School | 450 S. Dowling | San Benito | 361-6811 | Sylvia C. Garcia |
| Doedyns Elementary School | 1401 N. Raul Longoria | San Juan | 702-5744 | Flor Medrano or Efrain Reyes |
| North San Juan Elementary | 2900 N. Raul Longoria | San Juan | 702-6036 | Amy Marquez |
| Elma E. Barrera Elementary | P.O. Box 368 | Santa Rosa | 636-9870 | Dalia Anes |
| Franklin D. Roosevelt Elem. | 814 E. Plaza Street | Weslaco | 969-6750 | Sarah Cuadra |