Ronald McDonald House of the Great Hudson Valley
The Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley will be hosting a ‘Walk Over the Hudson’ on Sunday, May 5, 2019 at 1PM. The event will be held at the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, the world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge that spans 1.28 miles over the Hudson River from Poughkeepsie to Highland, New York. Participants will meet on the Poughkeepsie side of the bridge to walk across the bridge and back.
Teams of supporters, including past guests and friends of the House, will help raise funds to directly benefit the families that use the temporary housing to stay close to their children when they are hospitalized due to serious illness or traumatic injury. It is estimated that over 63% of the families that utilize the services of the Ronald McDonald House live in Putnam, Dutchess Ulster, Sullivan and Orange counties.
Leading the parade of walkers will be Grand Marshal, six-year-old Deskin Burton from Hopewell Junction, NY. Deskin and his twin brother Jake were born at just 24 weeks at Westchester Medical Center in January 2013. Tragically, Jake passed away when they were two days old due to complications from extreme prematurity. Deskin spent 176 days in the NICU at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, before transferring to Blythedale Children’s Hospital, a children’s rehabilitation center. Throughout his time in both hospitals, Deskin’s parents stayed at the Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley. After a total of 286 days, Deskin went home in November 2013. He is currently a kindergartener at Vail Farm Elementary School in LaGrangeville.
See Grand Marshall, Deskin on our Cover!
WHAT: Walk Over The Hudson
WHEN: Sunday, May 5, 2019
WHERE: Walkway Over the Hudson, 61 Parker Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY
[Meet in the Main Parking Lot on the Poughkeepsie side]
TIME: 1:00 PM (Registration opens at 12:30 PM)
PARKING: Limited parking in the Main Lot in Poughkeepsie (on the East Side of the river) and street parking
FEE: Suggested donation of $20
“When families walk through the doors of the Ronald McDonald House in their time of need, our House becomes their home. Contributions from this Walk make a big difference for our families, but it is important to know that our need for support is all year long,” says Christina Riley, Executive Director.
The mission of the Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley is to keep families together and close to the care they need. The 12-bedroom house opened on the grounds of the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY in May 2011 and has since provided services for over 1,800 families.
For more information about Walk Over the Hudson and the Ronald McDonald House of the Great Hudson Valley, visit www.rmh-ghv.org or call 914 493-6455.