The Ronald McDonald House at Advocate Good Hope Children's Hospital in Oak Lawn opened in mid-December 2008, providing a home away from home for families whose seriously ill children are receiving care at Good Hope.
Parent volunteers from our Club, which is one of the House's "Founding Donors," helped decorate the House (left) prior to the grand opening.
That effort is part of the continuing relationship between St Charles Boys Lacrosse and the House. In May 2008, Frosh-Soph players, coaches and parents teamed up with the Bear family, owner/ operators of nine area McDonald's restaurants, to raise more than $4300 for the House at a McDonald's South Elgin "McCare Night." Some players helped run the store's "Cruise Night" festivities. Others managed the 50-50 raffle and sold "mystery" balloons, and still others organized different lacrosse skills contests. Go here to read more about the evening.

On the night before they headed to West Chicago for the 2008 Conference Tournament, the Frosh-Soph devoted their Friday evening to supporting the newest Ronald McDonald House in the Chicago area.
Players, coaches and parents teamed up with the Bear family, owner/operators of nine area McDonald's restaurants, to raise money for and awareness of the Ronald House at the McDonald's South Elgin "McCare Night."
Some players acted as volunteer servers and order runners as part of that store's "Cruise Night" festivities. Others ran the 50-50 raffle and sold "mystery" balloons, and still others organized different lacrosse skills contests.
Proceeds from those events, as well as a portion of the sales from that evening, will be donated by the Bear family on the Club's behalf to Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) and the newest House, which will serve the Advocate Hope Children's Hospital in Oak Lawn.
Ronald Houses are a “home away from home” for families whose seriously ill children are receiving hospital care in the Chicagoland area. This new one is the fourth such House in the area.
The Frosh-Soph team and their parents took the lead in this Club project, which is the latest such community outreach event for the Club this year.
In April, Head Coach Andy Thompson and members of the Varsity team, in partnership with The Sportsplex of St. Charles, ran a Youth Clinic for area fourth- to eighth-grade lacrosse players.
And all season long, members of the Varsity and Junior Varsity teams have donated used (and new) equipment to the Club's "Stick Up For St. Charles" equipment drive. That equipment will be made available to area youth players in need.
For McCare Night photos, go
All photos by David Fairweather

No worries, mate: Outback is aces

With a big assist from The Sportsplex of
St Charles, the St Charles Varsity and Coach Thompson devoted three hours on Friday, April 11, 2008, to teaching lacrosse fundamentals and team concepts to nearly 40 local youth players in grades four to eight.
"Our varsity players really did a nice job of engaging and encouraging the participants," says Club parent Lee Campana who, with husband and Board member Gary Campana, organized the event at The Sportsplex of St Charles. "I was very impressed with the interaction."
"It was cool," says Judson Huxtable, 11. "The drills we learned were useful. I learned about different dodges." His friend, Brett Hickey, 11, enjoyed working with the varsity team. "They really know what they're doing," he says.
Two participants with older brothers on the team -- Nate Campana, 12, and Sam Nesbit, 12 -- agreed. "It was a fun time," says Sam. "I even learned a few new things.  All of the big guys were great and they were fun to work with!" Nate particularly liked the 3-on-2 drills: "They were awesome!" he says.