Ronald McDonald House Honors Seattle Thunderbirds Hockey Team

SEATTLE - Sept. 30, 2015 - PRLog -- On the night of October 17^th the Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Western Washington & Alaska (RMHC) will hold their 27^th Annual RMHC Gala auction, where they will honor the Seattle Thunderbirds hockey team for their longstanding partnership in the Hockey Challenge. This annual fundraising event for RMHC could not be put on without the generosity of the Seattle Thunderbirds, who donate their arena, player time, staff time, and much more. The fundraiser has contributed 4.6 million dollars towards housing families of seriously ill children during their medical treatment in the past 17 years.

The Hockey Challenge began in 1998 when two groups working on Microsoft’s mail server product, Exchange, began calling each other names at a party. With tempers mounting and one team located in Canada and the other located in the US, it was obvious the only solution was a hockey faceoff. The American team approached the Thunderbirds for some professional coaching and the Thunderbirds obliged, so long as the Microsoft employees raised money for RMHC. Since then, the Thunderbirds have partnered with RMHC and Microsoft employees to raise 4.6 million dollars. For this passionate dedication and service, the Thunderbirds will be honored with the 2015 Fred Schultz Award from RMHC.

The next Hockey Challenge will take place on February 23, 2016.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Western Washington & Alaska

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Western Washington & Alaska operates the Seattle Ronald McDonald House, which provides a caring “home-away-from-home” for families of seriously ill children who are receiving treatment at Seattle Children’s Hospital. The House provides a safe, comfortable place to stay at little or no cost, as well as meals, activities for kids, daily therapy dog visits, and local outings. By providing a place to live full of support, community and hope, the House is an anchor for families and children during difficult times. In 2014, RMHC provided housing for 471 families, providing a total of 28,000 nights of housing. RMHC also provides a van service in Anchorage, Alaska, which shuttles patients and their families to and from the hospital, pharmacies, and more. 922 families used the van service in 2014.