Ice cream for a cause

They’ve traveled everywhere from their home in Oregon to get their daughter the care and education she needs — in Budapest, Michigan, California and Florida — and most times, they have found a safe and free place to stay.

Rhonda and Bob Canfield and their daughter Olivia stay at a Ronald McDonald House when they must travel so that Olivia, who has cerebral palsy, can get conductive education, a special type of educational program used for children with motor disorders.

“It’s just a safe haven,” Rhonda said.

But the organization needs community support. An Ice Cream Social benefiting the charity will be held Saturday, April 9 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Winter Park Civic Center on 1050 W. Morse Blvd.

A home away from home

The Ronald McDonald House Charity provides families a free — or up to $25 donation — place to stay while their children are receiving treatment at local hospitals. This allows moms and dads to be close to their children without having to commute long distances to see them. Orlando has two facilities, which have helped more than 14,500 families since the first House’s opening in 1996. The RMH serves people from all over the world, but the majority of families who stay there come from the Central Florida area.

“The Ronald McDonald House is essentially a home away from home,” said Debbie DePierro, a representative from the charity.

Olivia’s improvement

The Canfields have stayed in Ronald McDonald Houses on different occasions for a total of six months. They said that this service is vital because the treatment they get for their daughter is very expensive and not covered by insurance, so paying for that and a hotel would be impossible for them.

“We could’ve never done what we’ve done without the Ronald McDonald House,” Rhonda said.

After staying in the Orlando RMH, the family decided to move to Winter Park where Olivia goes to a conductive education school. They credit this therapy with their daughter’s physical development. At age 3, she couldn’t do anything but roll over on her own, now the 9-year-old can do many physical things she couldn’t before, and can communicate to her parents.

“Because of Ronald McDonald House, my daughter can walk; she can eat; she can ride a bike,” Rhonda said.

A way to help

Soon, the Winter Park community will have a chance to contribute to the charity. Local volunteer Linda Mayfield is organizing an ice cream social to benefit the two Orlando facilities on Saturday, April 9.

The event will be held at the Winter Park Civic Center and will have cakes, games, contests, a silent auction, and of course, ice cream — made the old-fashioned way with a hand-crank and the new, modern way using liquid nitrogen. All of the proceeds will help Central Florida families staying at the Houses, Mayfield said.

Fundraisers like this are important, she said, because while 20 percent of the charity’s budget comes from McDonald’s, the other 80 percent is from events put on by the organization and other volunteers. And for the Canfields, who left everything in Oregon — including a house and their own business — to come to Winter Park for their daughter, a community supported, free place to stay was something that eased their minds during the transition two years ago.

“When you’re in a very stressful time, they take a lot of stress off your mind … just knowing you had a meal every night,” Bob said.

Learn more

An Ice Cream Social benefiting the Ronald McDonald House of Charities of Central Florida will be held Saturday, April 9 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Winter Park Civic Center on 1050 W. Morse Blvd. Tickets can be purchased online at www.RMHCCF.org, at both local Ronald McDonald Houses. Call 407-206-0957 or 407-677-1552 for more information.