On October 14, FJC account holder Jeff Bekos road his bicycle to the Philadelphia chapter of the Ronald McDonald House, capping a 4,000 mile bike ride that generated philanthropic support along the way for local chapters of the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC).  The effort raised over $600,000 in sponsorships and individual donations, including a portion that was processed through an FJC collective giving account.

Jeff’s relationship with RMHC began in 2013, when his daughter Hailey was being treated at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for Anti-NMDA encephalitis, a rare disease that affects 1 in 1.5 million people worldwide. Jeff’s family spent 254 nights at the Philadelphia chapter, in keeping with the organization’s mission to provide a haven for families with children in the hospital. 

“They provide all of the comforts of home,” said Jeff. “It becomes your home away from home and so anything and everything that you need, they’re there to help and support you in any way that they can.”

To demonstrate his gratitude and ensure that other families receive the same support as he did, Jeff planned this cross-country bike ride, which he called One Dad’s Mission, during which he visited 26 local RMHC chapters across the country, raising money along the way. Jeff’s daughter Hailey, now 24 and fully recovered from her illness, joined her father for the kick-off and welcomed her dad in Philadelphia at the end of the ride as well.

“The kindness that we saw across the country was amazing,” Jeff said.

See local Philadelphia press coverage of Jeff’s ride at WABC and WCBS.