The Ronald McDonald House of Southwestern Ontario's Windsor operation celebrated its tenth birthday with a major announcement on its future.
At a media event on Wednesday morning at Windsor Regional Hospital's Met Campus, the Windsor House was presented with a $3-million cheque from the Stephanie and Barry Zekelman Foundation.
The funding will go toward doubling the capacity of the Windsor House and enabling it to move to the Fancsy Family Hospital when it opens.
The Windsor House currently has five private rooms available to families whose children are receiving care at the hospital. It is the only Ronald McDonald House in Canada located inside a hospital.
Matthew Chater, CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southwestern Ontario, said the Windsor House is critical to the compassionate care provided.
"Windsor is such an important part of our story," said Chater. "This house represents more than just the space that it occupies. It represents connection, it represents compassion, and it represents the deeply held belief that families belong together."
Barry Zekelman said the easy part was the donation, but all of the hard work is credited to those who work with the families each day.
"What impresses me is what you all do with it [the donation]," said Zekelman. "The people that have to run this facility have that compassionate care, and then the families that go through it and journeys that you have. That's what matters."
The Windsor House opened in May 2016. Since then, it has welcomed 1,005 families for long-term stays, over 6,400 through the Day Pass program, and saved families over $683,000 per year in out-of-pocket expenses.
Demand continues to be a key issue. In 2025, 58 families were turned away due to a lack of space, and hundreds more could not use the Day Pass program.
Windsor-Essex McDonald's restaurants will celebrate McHappy Day on Wednesday, May 6, with all proceeds from the day's sales going to the Ronald McDonald House.
