Blue Jackets, Ronald McDonald House continue long relationship

A lot can change in 12 years. To stand the test of time for that long, a relationship must truly be important to each side.

That’s certainly the case for the Lady Jackets, the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation and the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio.

In March 2011, a group of Lady Jackets including Chris Clark’s wife Kim, Fedor Tyutin’s wife Sarah and Rick Nash’s wife Jessica had the opportunity to volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House. In no time at all, they formed a bond over their hands-on support of the venture, starting a relationship that is still going strong a dozen years later.

“A couple of us got together and worked on the project, and it got to be a very big project and something we really enjoyed,” Kim Clark said. “It gave us a really unique situation to get out in the community and give back. We were excited to have the opportunity to do it.”

Fast forward all these years later and the partnership has only grown, one reason last Wednesday was such a big day for everyone involved. With a massive renovation that began in 2016 now complete, the facility was able to celebrate its grand reopening last week as the largest Ronald McDonald House in the world.

Boasting more than 200 beds in a prime location next to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, one of the nation’s premier caregiving facilities, the Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio is breaking new ground when it comes to providing for families with children battling serious health issues.

For more than 40 years, the Ronald McDonald House – just like the CBJ Foundation – has operated on a mission to create, find, and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children. The facility provides a home away from home for families with seriously ill children receiving treatment at Nationwide Children's or other nearby hospitals, and now it will have the space to house everyone who needs its support.

“Everyone in Columbus was so generous to the house to make this happen,” said Dee Anders, CEO and executive director of the RMHC of Central Ohio. “This is going to help us take care of 2,000 more families a year, which is a huge deal. Prior to COVID, when we started the expansion, we were turning people away left and right. That breaks your heart. We are now going to be able to have a place for everybody to stay in. That really means a lot.”

The Ronald McDonald House is a multipurpose facility, providing both lodging and support for families in their time of need. While basic needs – like a bed to sleep in, as well as a place for meals and vital services such as laundry – are taken care of, there are also spaces for kids and adults alike to feel comfortable during a stressful time.

The Blue Jackets and Lady Jackets have chipped in to both build and care for a number of spaces in the facility that check both boxes. Since 2014, the Lady Jackets have maintained what’s known as the Princess Room, where families can escape and kids can just be kids while playing dress up, reading or just taking a break from their daily hospital visits.

There’s also the Blue Jackets Zone, a multipurpose space for families to both work and play. The CBJ Zone is equipped with a family TV room, two laundry rooms, a playroom, a pool table, an arcade room and a Blue Jackets hallway/interactive hockey area with a hockey net.

The Blue Jackets Zone at the Ronald McDonald House in Columbus includes two laundry rooms plus spaces for families to relax by watching television or playing billiards. BLUEJACKETS.COM

And in 2015, in conjunction with the NHL All-Star Game, the Blue Jackets partnered with the Ronald McDonald House to commission a project to turn a stairwell into an imaginative play place, what is now the four-story Treehouse.

Those CBJ spaces were refreshed as part of the house’s recent renovation thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Blue Jackets Foundation. In addition, last week, several Blue Jackets players toured the facility as part of the grand reopening to see the impact the organization is having firsthand.

“They are some of our favorite partners,” Anders said. “The Lady Jackets and the Blue Jackets are always there to support us with any need that we have. They are true friends. The relationship started a long time ago, and they’ve stuck with us. I think they love what happens here, and we couldn’t be more fortunate to have them.”

More than a decade after she first visited, Clark remains involved, and the Blue Jackets spaces are well-cared for. Throughout the year, the Lady Jackets often stop by to make sure everything is at its best, doing everything from cleaning the rooms and restocking them with toys to hosting events for the families at the facility.

“I’ve been able to sit here and watch it grow,” Clark said. “I’ve seen the different players’ wives come in and how they’ve helped out and the events we’ve done. We’ve come in and we’ve cooked meals. We’ve done special nights where we give manicures, pedicures. We help out and play with the kids. We have coloring. We have Christmas parties. We do a lot, and we really enjoy it here.”

The importance of the relationship has been passed down through the years, with such Lady Jackets as Maggie Jenner and Meredith Gaudreau now involved. As the spouses of two of the most prominent players on the team in Boone Jenner and Johnny Gaudreau, they’ve recognized the importance of giving back and made sure the Ronald McDonald House remains a prominent part of their philanthropic efforts.

“It’s a team effort,” Maggie Jenner said. “To me, to be a small part of this is an honor. The families that come here, they come to rest and recharge, and to have (the Blue Jackets Zone), and the Princess Room for little girls to come read and play, it’s just awesome to be a part of it.”