The Generosity is Overwhelming

Last week, I was once again asked to participate in McDonald’s McHappy Day, and I have to tell you it was a fantastic time. The weather was great, the staff was awesome, and the customers were unbelievably generous.

The event is an annual fundraiser for charities in specific locations. In other words, the money donated in North Durham stays in North Durham, which is wonderful. Another event element is, 100% of the donations go to the charities.

This year, the charities selected were Ronald McDonald House Charities, the Jennifer Ashleigh Children’s Charity, Precious Minds and Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Durham. Each charity was well represented, and everyone was very pleased to be involved.

I was stationed in the drive-through lane and had a small, square box with a big $5 sign on it. My job was to simply ask people lined up for the drive-through if they wanted to make a donation. Most said yes, and all they had to do was tap the small box.

To my surprise, almost everyone was eager to participate. Many tapped two and even three times, some used real currency, and we even received a few cheques. In turn, McDonald’s gave each person a gift, which included free meals and other products.

I must admit, I had a terrific time. Chatting with the hundreds of people who visited was fun, and I was amazed at how many people made a special effort to be there on that day.

The biggest surprise came when I discovered the total money received between the Port Perry and Uxbridge locations. In these times, I would have expected a smaller amount of donation, but the surprising number, at the end of the day, was $51,199.45. I was stunned!

I am so pleased to live in a community where people are incredibly generous. One woman commented, ‘If I can afford to eat out, I can certainly afford to give the less fortunate a little’. Hundreds of people shared her sentiments, which is another reason our community is so great.

Congrats to all the organizers and volunteers for making McHappy Day a fantastic event.

Jonathan van Bilsen is a television host, award-winning photographer, published author, columnist and keynote speaker. Watch his show, ‘Jonathan van Bilsen’s photosNtravel’, on RogersTV, the Standard Website or YouTube.