Ronald McDonald House Charities^® Canada

Through the gift of flight support for families, administration and fundraising, WestJet helps RMHC keep families close to their sick children and the care they need to heal.

The gift of flight helps ease the financial burden for families who need to travel for medical appointments for both urgent care and ongoing treatments for their sick child, assists in raising funds for the 16 Ronald McDonald Houses and 18 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms across Canada and brings families together when they need it the most.

Anyone who has been away from their family and friends for three to four days, let alone for a prolonged length of time, knows how good it feels to reconnect with them. Imagine being separated from your 10-year-old daughter and your extended hockey family for more than two months, while you devote yourself to caring for your 13-year-old son as he undergoes treatment for leukemia. For the Hunt family, this is their reality. They are one of the more than 25,000 families that call Canada’s 16 Ronald McDonald Houses and 18 Ronald McDonald House Family Rooms home each year. 

Inspired by Troy and his son Darian’s story, we teamed up with Ronald McDonald House Charities^® Canada to give Coach Dad Troy from Clarenville, Newfoundland an early Father’s Day surprise — actually a couple of surprises.

At WestJet, we are committed to positively impacting the health and well-being of children and youth in Canada. Between 2007 and 2022 we donated over 100,000 flights to our charitable partners through our WestJet Cares for Kids program. The continued support of our guests who travel with us makes all this possible, and we remain tremendously grateful. 

RMHC Canada is the national foundation of support for Canada’s 16 Ronald McDonald Houses, 18 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms and one Ronald McDonald Care Mobile across the country. Collectively, these programs support over 25, 000 families each year, providing access to quality health care and enabling family-centered care. All by keeping families close — one family at a time.

"As a longstanding RMHC Canada National Partner, WestJet Cares for Kids helps bring families together when they need it most — no matter the distance. When a child is seriously ill or injured travel is essential, since 65% of Canadians live outside a city with a pediatric hospital. That’s where Ronald McDonald House Charities steps in to fill the gap, and thanks to WestJet’s generous spirit and gift of flight, we can be there for families — and families can be there for each other — during a difficult and unexpected time. WestJet helps ease the financial burden and keeps families close to each other and the medical care they need, because with their loved ones by their side, sick children get stronger."
— Kate Horton, Chief Executive Officer, Ronald McDonald House Charities^® Canada