RMHC 50th Anniversary Gala – “Golden Linings”

For five decades, Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®) has cared for millions of families across the globe, helping them stay close to their children during critical healthcare journeys. To honor this legacy, the RMHC 50th Anniversary Global Gala was held at Navy Pier’s historic Aon Grand Ballroom in Chicago, under the theme “Golden Linings”—inspired by the Japanese art of kintsugi, which symbolizes resilience and healing by repairing broken pottery with veins of gold.

This theme resonated deeply with the RMHC mission: that families, even when fractured by a diagnosis, are never broken beyond repair. Instead, they emerge stronger, supported by a global community of care.

The evening unfolded across three transformative spaces:

• A gold-accented red carpet arrival moment, where guests stepped into the gala’s world of golden kintsugi lines.

• An immersive gallery experience, showcasing 50 years of impact and legacy stories from families across 62 countries.

• An elevated dinner and after-party environment, where the stage design itself reflected golden kintsugi lines, setting the tone for a moving live performance by John Legend.

The space was unified with golden kintsugi-inspired décor, weaving symbolic veins of gold across the ballroom, galleries, and staging. Each design detail underscored the Gala’s narrative: that families are not defined by the challenges they face, but by the strength and community that help them heal.

The night also featured a live auction, ultimately raising over $76 million for RMHC programs worldwide—one of the largest single fundraising totals in the organization’s history.

As RMHC Global President & CEO Katie Fitzgerald noted: “We’re 50 years young, and our work has just begun.” The Gala didn’t just celebrate a milestone—it marked the next chapter in RMHC’s global story of care, healing, and hope.