Ronald McDonald House South Island reopens main wing

Ronald McDonald House South Island reopens its earthquake-damaged main wing

Rare opportunity for public to look inside Christchurch’s ‘home away from home’

Some 16 months on from the devastating February 22 earthquake, Ronald McDonald House South Island has reopened its main wing.

The House welcomed its first two families into the newly repaired accommodation facility last night.

The three-storied building suffered significant damage in the 6.3-magnitude earthquake, with four metres of instantaneous water movement underneath causing it to be forced upwards. In a ground-breaking engineering procedure, Fletcher Construction has lowered the building to its original position.

Throughout this time the House has been operating with only 14 of its 27 rooms available to families.

“Having the House back to full capacity is a significant milestone in what has been a challenging year,” says General Manager Emma Jones.

“Our sincere thanks must go to Fletcher Construction who have worked extremely hard to make this happen, and we are just so happy to be able to open the doors of our main wing again.”

On Saturday, June 30 Ronald McDonald House South Island is holding a Community Open Day in celebration of returning to full capacity. This will provide the public with a unique opportunity to walk through the doors of the House and see firsthand what the facility provides for families with sick children.

The doors will be open between the hours of 2pm and 5pm.

Ronald McDonald House South Island provides free accommodation and support to families who must leave their community and travel to Christchurch for their child’s hospital care.

Since opening in 2003, the House has provided nearly 77,000 nights of accommodation to more than 2,400 families from all over New Zealand.

Community Open Day
Ronald McDonald House South Island
33 Cashel Street, Christchurch
(Corner of Montreal and Cashel Streets)
Saturday, June 30
2:00pm - 5:00pm

ENDS

© Scoop Media