GALION — After missing a year because of COVID, Northmor JOG and Youth Safety Council went to the Ronald McDonald House on February 2 and delivered 24 boxes of pop tabs, fleece blankets, children’s books from Hallmark, and a $3,200 check.

The pop tabs were collected during a pop tab war in the elementary and JOG classes. Six of the boxes of pop tabs were from last year when the group could not go. The fleece blankets were made by Mrs. Kathy Cass. The donation check helps pay for families staying at the House.

The $3,200 check was reached with donation cans at the football games, our staff and faculty with Jeans Week, and donation cans at the Shell Station at St. Rt. 61 and 71 which is owned by Wayne Bradley.

The students broke up into groups and cleaned the Ronald McDonald House from the basement to the third floor. The students washed windows, swept floors, dusted, took out garbage, and disinfected the kitchens, door knobs and cleaned three family suites.

This year the staff was excited to see Northmor students again; the staff said they are one of the House’s favorite volunteer groups. Volunteers are not as abundant as in past years. The group also watched as houses were being torn down beside the Ronald McDonald House for an additional 100 rooms. They learned the Columbus House will still be the biggest House in the country and world.

Since 1982, the Ronald McDonald House in Columbus has provided one million nights of rest for families of seriously ill, hospitalized children. In order to serve even more families at the House, RMHC of Central Ohio has embarked on the largest expansion project in its history.