Ronald McDonald House of Dallas Honors Chairs, Sponsors and Supporters Who
Delivered the Charm of this Year’s Holiday Exhibit, Running Now through January 7, 2018
DALLAS January 5, 2018 – Ronald McDonald House of Dallas (RMHD) thanked the chairs and sponsors of this year’s The Trains at NorthPark, presented by Bank of Texas, at the Highland Park home of Lindsay Billingsley. Open now through January 7, 2018, The Trains at NorthPark is a beloved holiday attraction that draws about 75,000 visitors each year and provides the largest source of funding for RMHD.
This year’s Honorary Chairs are Dr. Dale Fuller and his wife Jean Fuller. Dr. Fuller, a radiation oncologist, is a long-time supporter and founding board member of RMHD, which has provided a home-away-from-home for families of seriously ill or injured children since 1981. The 2017 co-chairs for The Trains at NorthPark are Hollee Hirzel and Bridget Miller.
“This is truly a labor of love. There are few people we work with for The Trains at NorthPark that have not been touched by the work of Ronald McDonald House of Dallas,” said Jill Cumnock, Chief Executive Officer of Ronald McDonald House of Dallas. “Thirty years ago, The Trains at NorthPark was founded as a fundraiser to further our work. Over that time, we have been able to serve 37,000 kids and their families. Without The Trains at NorthPark’s sponsors and chairs, we would not have been able to serve nearly as many as we have. We are so fortunate to have sponsors like Bank of Texas, who support us year after year.”
Dr. Dale Fuller was instrumental in the formation of RMHD in 1981, and is still involved 36 years later. That year, Dr. Joann Cornet an oncologist at Children’s, called Dr. Fuller to help with a grant for planning the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas. Dr. Fuller also helped to find a location for the first house, which opened with ten beds near Children’s Medical Center. Dr. Fuller recounted before a large crowd of sponsors that he had a brother who passed away at six years old, and discussed how the work RMHD does helps families heal.
Original kid conductor, Amy Maggard of Plano, was also at the event. She is now a nurse and mother of two, who still has the scrapbook she made during her stay in 1987 at RMHD, as well as from her time as Kid Conductor. Robert Powell, a nine-year-old double amputee from Little Rock, gladly accepted the honor to be this year’s Kid Conductor. This role included cutting the ribbon for the 30th Anniversary exhibit alongside Ronald McDonald on prostheses he received just last April.
The Trains at NorthPark features more than 750 railcars on a 1,600-foot elaborate configuration of tracks and scenes. Each year, the beloved holiday experience welcomes nearly 70,000, and has helped raise more than $13 million for RMHD since its original run in 1987. Featuring cityscapes like Dallas, New York, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, The Trains at NorthPark also includes New England’s fall foliage, the Grand Canyon, Garden of the Gods and Route 66. Thomas the Train and his friends also draw families to the charming exhibit, which has been seen by around two million people over its 30-year run.
The Trains at NorthPark is supported by:
Presenting Sponsor: Bank of Texas
Platinum Baron Sponsor at $25,000 and above: Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater North Texas; MHBT, Inc., a Marsh and McLennan Agency, LLP; NorthPark Center; NBC5; and Tom Thumb.
Golden Spike at $10,000-$24,999: Cirro Energy; Children’s Medical Center; Energy Transfer Partners; Prairie Creek Partners; Ussery Printing; DART; and Summit Transportation.
Silver Express at $5,000-$9,999: Hilltop Holdings, Inc.; Texas Scottish Rite Hospital; Lyda Hill; Bridget & Josh Miller/The Miller Family Foundation; BNSF; Sewell Automotive Group; Medical City Children’s Hospital; Dallas Children’s Charities; Moroch; PaperCity; McDonald’s; The Beck Group; TW Trainworx; People Newspapers; and Dallas Child.
Chief Engineer at $2,500-$4,999: ISI Commercial Refrigeration; The Francis Family; CDC; The Cain Foundation; Carolyn and Karl Rathjen, Brad Porter; Lauren McHenry & Ben Davis; The Enrico Foundation; Davaco; Gehan Homes, Ltd.; Cecilie and Ronnie Holman; Cullum Construction, Quadrant Investment Properties; Primrose School of Bedford; Misty and Steven Smathers; Thompson and Knight Foundation; ATI Restoration; and The Senior Voice.
Tickets for The Trains at NorthPark are $4 for children ages 2-12 and seniors over 65. Adults are $7, while children under 2 are admitted for free. This year, The Trains at NorthPark is in a new location on the 2nd level of NorthPark Mall near Neiman Marcus.
Those interested in supporting The Trains at NorthPark through sponsorship, volunteering or purchasing a railcar can do so by visiting www.thetrainsatnorthpark.com or contacting Janie Robertson at jrobertson@rmhdallas.org.
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ABOUT RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE OF DALLAS:
Established in 1981, Ronald McDonald House of Dallas has served as a home-away-from-home for more than 37,000 families of seriously ill children who have traveled to Dallas seeking medical treatment in area hospitals. By providing a caring, supportive, home-like environment, Ronald McDonald House of Dallas keeps the family intact and helps allow a family to establish a normal routine in the midst of crisis. It also provides families with the opportunity to share their concerns with other families in similar circumstances. For more information, please contact Ronald McDonald House of Dallas at 214.631.7354, or visit www.rmhdallas.org.