This year, Canadians can help families supported by RHMC® by purchasing any McDonald’s menu item all day long

TORONTO, September 8, 2021 – In celebration of the 27th McHappy Day, McDonald’s Canada is donating a portion of the proceeds from every menu item sold on September 22nd at participating restaurants in support of Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®), and other local children’s charities.

There are more ways to support than ever before!

• In the weeks leading up to McHappy Day, guests can purchase McHappy Day Digital Hearts in-restaurant for a $2 donation that comes with a digital “thank you” video from a Canadian athlete, celebrity, or RMHC family. Guests will also have the option to donate $5 to add a pair of exclusive McHappy Day x Peace Collective socks to any Extra Value Meal order.
• For the first time, a portion of the proceeds from every food and beverage item sold all day long will support RMHC programs across Canada and local children’s charities
• Guests can support by purchasing their favourite foods in-restaurant, through the McDonald’s app, via the Drive-Thru and McDelivery®
• All proceeds from the McHappy Day x Peace Collective merchandise collection, available at participating restaurants on McHappy Day, will go to RMHC programs across Canada and local children’s charities
• Can’t make it to McHappy Day? Guests can ‘Round up for RMHC’ on any order at participating restaurants to support RMHC all year long or visit rmhc.ca for more ways to support

Quotes:

“We are excited to welcome back McHappy Day this year and ecstatic about offering our guests more ways to support than ever before,” said Jacques Mignault, President and CEO, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada. “Family and community are at the heart of McDonald’s core values and McHappy Day allows us to continue our coast-to-coast support for RMHC, as every purchase on McHappy Day directly supports Canadian families in need.”

“The impact and support from coast-to-coast on McHappy Day is truly remarkable. From McDonald’s franchisees, to crew members, and guests – we are so grateful to our communities that rally together to support RMHC in our mission to keep families together and close to the healthcare their sick child needs,” said Cathy Loblaw, CEO, RMHC Canada. “We can’t stop until all families in need can receive the comfort and care of RMHC – annually thousands of families never make it off of our waitlists. Together with the generous support of Canadians on McHappy Day, we can help even more families during their most challenging time.”

Facts:

• McHappy Day is McDonald’s Canada’s largest community charitable initiative of the year
• McHappy Day was established in 1977 by McDonald’s Canada and RMHC Canada founder George Cohon
• The 16 Ronald McDonald Houses and 17 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms in Canada give families a place to stay together when they have to travel for their sick child’s treatment
• Annually, RMHC supports over 26,000 families from more than 3,400 communities
• In 2019 McDonald’s, together with its franchisees, restaurant teams and their guests, raised more than $6.6 million on McHappy Day alone. In 2021, McDonald’s Canada hopes to beat that record and make this the most successful McHappy Day ever by donating proceeds from all menu items for the first time in history.

It wasn’t possible to host McHappy Day in 2020 due to the pandemic, but this year McDonald’s Canada is ready to bring the event back in style. What better way to announce the return of McHappy Day than with some healthy competition led by well-known Canadian athletes and personalities?

McDonald’s Canada is working with regional captains to rally their communities to get out and participate to make McHappy Day 2021 the biggest in history. And while the event looks a little different this year, there have never been more ways to support. Canadians can follow their captain’s journey across social media to see which region is leading the pack.

Regional Captains

• C.: Bo Horvat
  • As captain of the Vancouver Canucks, this role is a natural fit for Bo! He is a father of one and a longtime RMHC supporter via ‘Horvat’s Heroes’
• Prairies: Cassie Campbell
  • A former ice hockey player, current Sportsnet broadcaster and the first RMHC National Ambassador, Cassie embodies the core values of McHappy Day and strives to help RMHC families in need including helping support various meal programs.
• Ontario: Natalie Spooner
  • Natalie played for the Canadian national women’s hockey team, and has supported numerous charities, specifically those encouraging young female hockey players to pursue their dreams in sports.
• Quebec:
  • Mitsou Gélinas
    • Mitsou is a well-known media personality and editor of the magazine she founded. Throughout her career, she has supported numerous charities and supported the Mission campaign for RMHC earlier this year.
  • Patrick Langlois
    • Patrick is a well-known radio host, currently working at WKND 99.5 in Montreal. He is a great fit for RMHC and the McHappy Day campaign as he is actively involved in different charities for children and is a father of two young children
  • Isabelle Racicot
    • Isabelle is a radio and TV host that has been in the public eye for over twenty years. She is active both in French and English and has been named "Female Personality of the Year" at theSounds of Blackness Awards in Quebec three times. She is a great fit for the McHappy Day campaign as she often lends her voice to causes that are close to her heart.
  • Atlantic: Jill Saulnier
    • Jill currently plays for the Montreal team of the PWHPA and is most recently a 2021 Women’s World Championship gold medalist and a 2018 Olympic Silver Medalist. McHappy Day and RMHC are close to her heart and Jill donates both time and money in support

About Ronald McDonald House Charities® Canada (RMHC® CANADA)

In Canada, 65 per cent of families live outside a city with a children's hospital and must travel for treatment if their child is seriously ill. Annually, the RMHC network of programs in Canada helps to keep more than 26,000 families close to their sick child and the care they need. The 16 Ronald McDonald Houses provide out-of-town families with a home to stay at while their child is being treated at a nearby hospital, while the 17 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms provide a comfortable place for families to rest and recharge, right inside hospitals. For more information, please visit rmhccanada.ca.

About McDonald’s Canada

In 1967, Canadians welcomed the first McDonald's restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited has become part of the Canadian fabric, serving close to three million guests every day. In both franchised and corporate-owned restaurants, nearly 100,000 people are employed from coast-to-coast, and more than 90 per cent of McDonald's 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent franchisees. Of the almost $1 billion spent on food, more than 85 per cent is purchased from suppliers in Canada. For more information on McDonald's Canada, visit mcdonalds.ca.

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For more information: Corporate Relations, McDonald's Canada

media.relations@ca.mcd.com