I am a brand ambassador for Central Arkansas McDonalds. While I am being compensated for this post all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Remember last August when I posted about the Groundbreaking of the brand new Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas? Well it is finally complete and now it is time for the grand opening!! The official grand opening date is November 16 but I got a sneak peek tour with my fellow Central Arkansas McDonald Ambassadors a couple weekends ago! It was the weekend before Halloween so that explains the costumes…LOL!
We actually went to the current Ronald McDonald House and got to tour that before heading down the street to the new house. There is no comparison between the two. The old house is good but the new house is simply amazing.
When you walk in the front door of the new Ronald McDonald House two things immediately stand out. the first thing is a doggy door for Mac! Mac is the Director of Smiles and is the most precious Goldendoodle you will ever meet. Currently Mac only spends his days at the house but once the new house is complete he will be there 24 hours a day.
The second thing you see when you walk in the door is the Welcome Center. The Welcome Center is a place that families can check in when they get the house. And if they want a more private check in they can use a private room that is located behind the big desk.
There are also a lot of administrative offices in the new house. I didn’t get a photo of any of those rooms but they are important to mention because the old house has zero administrative offices. That’s a big deal!!
There is also a gorgeous chihuly inspired chandelier that was donated by James Hayes. I love these chandeliers, they are gorgeous!!
Walking down the hall away from the Welcome Center you will see a large living room perfect for families who have come in after a long day. Families will be able to relax on the La-Z-Boy furniture, watch TV, and get online at a computer specially designated for this area. La-Z-Boy is a huge sponsor of Ronald McDonald Houses across the nation and so all of the furniture in this new house was either given for free or was deeply discounted.
Across from the living room is an indoor place space for kids to play video games. There is also an area set up with small tables for younger kids to play with toys and read books. I love this room because it’s so bright and inviting!
Going down the hall again brings you to the enormous kitchen/dining area. You can cook enough food for an army here!!
There is also a play are set up just off the kitchen so parents can watch their kids while they cook.
The kitchen also opens up onto a huge outdoor play area. This area is now full of playground equipment but it wasn’t there when I was. You can also access this area from the Tree House. I love the tree house!!!
All of that is on the bottom floor. There also more rooms such as laundry rooms and offices. The top four floors contain rooms for families. Each floor is equipped with it’s own living room and each individual room has it’s own bathroom. Again, this is a big deal because in the old house there were shared bathrooms.
Among the many rooms in the house for families to stay in there are a few that have their own kitchen ares in the rooms for people with medically fragile children who can’t be around other kids while they stay. This is so so so awesome!
On the top floor of the house there is a gigantic media room that has a stage area for kids to perform on and is full of seating that is perfect for movie nights!! You can also see the Beacon of Light from this floor. So cool!!
A local hairdresser also set up a room on the top floor that serves as a hair salon for both patients and families. This hairdresser that set it up raised all the money for it and got other local hairdressers to volunteer their time so that it will always be staffed! How awesome is that?
There is also a huge conference room on the top floor that local businesses can use. It has a fantastic view of the state capital!
And that my friends is the sneak peek of the brand spanking new Ronald McDonald House of Arkansas. I can’t wait for the ribbon cutting next week!!
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