5 Alabama families thankful right now for your $1.6 million in donations at the drive-thru last year

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At one point this January, five different Alabama families of pediatric transplant patients were all staying at Ronald McDonald House Alabama in downtown Birmingham.

As home to Children’s of Alabama, the state’s only hospital that provides pediatric transplants, Birmingham becomes a home base for impacted families over what’s usually a very long process of waiting, surgery and recovery. The House offers families a free, soft place to land and find support when their sick or injured children are receiving care at nearby hospitals.

This is where you come in: If you’ve been rounding up your McDonald’s orders to help the House, you deserve a pat on the back. And so do our 178 participating McDonald’s locations, which also donate a portion of sales from several menu items.

Read on to learn how your donated pennies have been priceless for these five families and many more.

Small change, big impact

Ronald McDonald House Alabama welcomes families wholeheartedly and keeps them together, better rested and well fed.

And speaking of food, that takes us back to McDonald’s, where thousands of Alabamians have been pitching in a little bit at a time to help make it all happen. In 2025, Round-Up raised $1,638,205, which covered 10,921 nights for families staying at the House.

If you have not participated before, here’s how to do it: A crew member takes your order, and you let them take your change to help the House. Just tell them to round up your total to the next dollar.

What you order also helps. Owner/operators donate:

🍟 1 penny per pound of fries sold
🤗 1 penny per Happy Meal sold
☘️ 25 cents per Shamrock Shake sold through March 17

Learn more about the overall impact of giving to Ronald McDonald House Alabama in 2025.

What the families had to say

“The atmosphere at the House is just calming. I know that sounds crazy, but after a long day, we know we are going to be taken care of.”
_{Family of kidney transplant patient Kaitlynn Mosley, age 8, of Webb}

“The House brings families together to share and gain some knowledge with positivity to our child’s health journey. We can call it another home.”
_{Family of liver transplant patient Jay Patel, age 6, of Athens}

“Staying at the House was one of the many blessings we experienced. We were able to be a family through this process. The House was truly our home away from home.”
_{Darby Gowen, mom to heart transplant patient Sawyer John, age 2, of Munford}

“My family and I were able to focus on what matters most for us—our son. Their kindness kept our family together. We will be forever grateful.”
_{Cynthia Ellington, mom to heart transplant patient Michael, age 10, of Foley}

“The staff are like extended family. They have always made sure that we have everything we need, from a room to accommodate dialysis to an isolation suite after Ruger’s kidney transplant.”
_{Family of kidney transplant patient Ruger Ennis, age 9, of Ardmore}

A thank you for filling the House with love

“Thank you to everyone in Alabama who gave through Round-Up, sponsored or hosted an event or gave a donation from your heart. It takes a community to fill our House with love, and we are so thankful for everyone who supports our mission.”
_{Katherine Estes Billmeier, Ronald McDonald House Alabama President & CEO}

With 2025 totals on the books, Round-Up fundraising for this year is off to a strong start, especially now that people can opt to round up their orders using the phone app.

Discover more about the Round-Up initiative + more ways to lend your support on the Ronald McDonald House Alabama website.

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