Five local volunteers Saturday came together to promote healthcare reform while collecting donations for the Ronald McDonald House in Huntington.
Activity organizer Dan Hager put together the four-hour event after receiving a phone call from Organizing For America, a grassroots effort of supporters of President Barack Obama, to be a part of their National Health Care Day of Service initiative.
Hager said the volunteers arrived at the collection site in the parking lot of McDonald's restaurant on Hal Greer Boulevard at 8 a.m. to begin their efforts of collecting snack food, canned food, office supplies, toiletries, and umbrellas to support the Ronald McDonald House in Huntington.
"By simply being out there doing something worthwhile, we were aiming to show citizens and lawmakers that we are most definitely ready for change," Hager said.
According to a press release on the event, the volunteers were all supporters of President Obama's healthcare reform agenda.
Hager said collecting items for charities like the Ronald McDonald House in Huntington is just another way to help out with the rising costs of healthcare, which is one of three key principles of President Obama's healthcare reform agenda-reducing costs, obtaining higher quality to improve health, and giving citizens a choice of healthcare plans and physicians.
Overall, the group collected and presented the Ronald McDonald House in Huntington with over $100 worth of donated items and monetary donations from people driving by.
"We were thrilled to be able to present the Ronald McDonald House with anything at all, and the monetary donations from people driving by weren't expected, but definitely appreciated," Hager said.
Tanyia Oakley, executive director for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Tri-State, said "
Hager said he hopes to organize more events in the next few months preceding legislation from President Obama in October. For more information, contact Dan Hager at hager70@marshall.edu.
Kristen Harker can be contacted at harker@marshall.edu.
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