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ReeceNichols is thrilled to embark on the fourth year of the Gold Key Project, continuing their commitment to support families with hospitalized children in partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities.
The idea is simple. Gold Key agents pledge to cover the cost of a one-night stay for a family at RMHC ($100) for every home they help buy or sell from April through October. RMHC offers families a nurturing environment—free lodging, warm meals, and laundry facilities—while their child undergoes hospital treatment.
From its modest beginnings with a pilot program that saw agents donate $31,000, the Gold Key Project has flourished, raising $983,415 for RMHC to date.
This year, we’re on the cusp of a monumental achievement: surpassing $1 million in donations, translating to 10,000 free nights for families to stay close to their critically ill children.
In addition to the nightly stays, funds raised have also enhanced RMHC facilities, including the creation of a new Family Room at Overland Park Regional Medical Center and the renovation of four rooms at RMHC-KC’s Longfellow House.
Over 300 Gold Key agents are ready to unlock $1 million donated to RMHC, embodying the spirit of community and compassion that defines ReeceNichols.
MEET CHEVI
What started as a funny bump on 5-year-old Cheviona “Chevi” Meyer’s face became something that changed her family’s life forever. The Greenridge, Mo., residents’ lives were turned upside down when she received a diagnosis of stage 4 rhabdomyosarcoma sarcoma. The cancer had spread to her lymph nodes and lungs in the month and a half since they noticed the bump.
Destiny, Chevi, and Chevi’s brother, Ryder, stayed at the Ronald McDonald House on and off for surgeries and big doses of chemo at Children’s Mercy, plus two months straight during her daily radiation treatments at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
“We would have been in a very, very hard spot if not for Ronald McDonald House… I had to quit my job to take care of Chevi and get her to her appointments. I didn’t know how I was going to afford to stay in hotels or pay the gas money to get back and forth two hours,” said Destiny. “It was a huge stress relief, and then I found out there was food and dinners. It was a godsend.”
Chevi completed her treatment plan in August, but 5 months later her aggressive cancer started growing back. Chevi had to return in February but reached no evidence of disease this March and rang the bell at the hospital to celebrate!
THREE GENERATIONʼS CONNECTION TO RMHC
For Lisa Lewis, a ReeceNichols Gold Key agent, the Gold Key Project transcends the act of giving; it’s a deeply personal commitment. Her journey with RMHC began 26 years ago when her newborn daughter, Jamie, was diagnosed with viral meningitis, requiring a two-week hospital stay. The memory of those challenging walks from her room at RMHC to the NICU still lingers with Lisa.
“When you’re alone and all by yourself, it’s just scary, but they were very kind and helped me get over some of my worries,” Lisa said. “I just couldn’t imagine not having (RMHC) there.”
Now, as life comes full circle, Jamie is expecting her daughter Annie, who will also begin her life under the careful watch of Children’s Mercy Hospital due to supraventricular tachycardia. This means Jamie will lean on RMHC’s services just like her mother did over two decades ago.
Lisa, Jamie, and soon-to-be-born Annie are a testament to the cycle of care and compassion that RMHC fosters, ensuring families can face their toughest challenges together, enveloped in the comfort and care that only RMHC can provide.