Hotel Receives Recognition from Ronald McDonald House

LOMA LINDA>> For nearly twenty years, the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House has provided a home away from home for families of critically ill and injured children who are receiving treatment at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital and other nearby medical centers. For many years the House has operated at more than a 100 percent occupancy, placing families in local hotels until rooms became available. The need to expand has been evident for years and with initial gifts from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and McDonald’s Operators Association of Southern California construction began last summer on two brand new 3-story additions on the east and west ends of the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House. In February, as construction continued, renovations began on the existing building leaving 21 families each night without the comfort and care they had come to rely on during their child’s hospital stay. The DoubleTree by Hilton San Bernardino, formerly San Bernardino Hilton, has been one of the partnering hotels where families could stay when the House was full. They also opened their doors in 2007 when the House underwent a 6-week remodel. The DoubleTree has been a valued partner of the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House for many years and has stepped up once again to support families in need by working with the House since February to guarantee a block of rooms for Ronald McDonald House families during the construction project. A portion of the campaign gift from San Manuel Band of Mission Indians has been allocated to underwrite the hotel costs during the expansion. To show their appreciation Ronald McDonald House staff, families and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees were joined by representatives from Senator Mike Morrell's office and Assemblyman Marc Steinorth's office to present certificates of appreciation to the DoubleTree by Hilton in San Bernardino. “The compassion and cooperation from the Doubletree is huge," said Jay Brand, Chairman of the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House Board of Trustees. "We could not have maintained support for families of critically ill and injured children without their assistance.”