The Ronald Mc Donald House of Southwestern Ontario in Windsor marked its tenth anniversary with exciting news about its future.
At a press event on Wednesday morning at Windsor Regional Hospital’s Met Campus, the Windsor House was presented with a generous $3-million cheque from the Stephanie and Barry Zekelman Foundation.
This funding will help double the capacity of the Windsor House and support its move to the Fancsy Family Hospital when it opens.
Currently, the Windsor House has five private rooms available for families whose children are receiving care at the hospital. It’s also unique as it is the only Ronald Mc Donald House in Canada located within a hospital.
Matthew Chater, CEO of Ronald Mc Donald House Charities of Southwestern Ontario, emphasized how crucial the Windsor House is to providing compassionate care.
“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.”
The new logo of the Windsor Ronald Mc Donald House. Windsor News Today. ca file photo.
Barry Zekelman mentioned that while making a donation is straightforward, all credit goes to those who work directly with families every 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’s welcomed 1,005 families for long-term stays and over 6,400 through its Day Pass program, saving families more than $683,000 each year in out-of-pocket costs.
Demand remains a significant concern. In 2025 alone, 58 families had to be turned away due to lack of space, and hundreds more couldn’t utilize the Day Pass program.
Windsor-Essex Mc Donald’s restaurants will hold their annual Mc Happy Day on Wednesday, May 6, donating all proceeds from sales that day to support Ronald Mc Donald House.
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