Safelite AutoGlass® President and CEO Tom Feeney Becomes First Inductee of Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio’s Hall of Fame
COLUMBUS, Ohio – June 11, 2013 - The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Ohio (RMHC) recently honored Safelite® President and CEO Tom Feeney as the first-ever Hall of Fame recipient for his 10-plus years of support to the organization.
The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio Hall of Fame, new in 2013, will recognize and commemorate individuals who have represented significant support for seriously ill children and their families at the Ronald McDonald House. “The community of Central Ohio has been so generous in their support of our local Ronald McDonald House and the families being served here. A few individuals in the community have gone above and beyond the call of duty in a significant way, and we are thrilled to honor them in the new Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio Hall of Fame,” said Dee Anders, CEO and Executive Director. “We are so proud to have Tom Feeney as our first inductee – he is certainly worthy of this honor for his decade of service to the charity and tireless support of the families we serve.”
Feeney has served on the Board of Trustees for 10 years, serving as Board President from 2008–2010, and he continues to serve as a Board Member today. During this time, Feeney helped bring the 2010 McDonald’s High School All American Basketball Games to Columbus, Ohio. This event serves as a major fundraiser for Ronald McDonald Houses around the country. Safelite AutoGlass® donated $100,000 to support the games benefiting RMHC. Under his leadership, they raised $1,000,000, enabling the RMHC to pay of all debt on its facility.
Each year, RMHC Global grants a limited number of Ronald McDonald Care Mobile programs to deserving RMHC Chapters throughout the world. During Feeney’s tenure as Board President, the charity successfully earned one of only two Ronald McDonald Care Mobile programs launched in the U.S. that year. This program is positively impacting the lives of thousands of children every year by providing access to healthcare for children in areas where it’s hard to get to a doctor.
Feeney was an instrumental leader in the successful $6 capital campaign to fund a vital expansion of Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio, to make it the largest in the world, with 122 guest rooms. This expansion will provide 14,000 more nights at the Ronald McDonald House each year for families of seriously ill children being treated at area hospitals in Central Ohio.
Feeney also has played a critical role in the success of the annual Ronald McDonald House Golf Classic, RMHC’s largest fundraiser. Through his leadership as event Chair, the Golf Classic reached new heights and grew to the event it is today. While Feeney served on the Golf Classic Committee from 2007–2010, he brought in sponsorships and event registrations, including a Presenting Sponsorship of $25,000 from Safelite AutoGlass®.
In 2012, The Ohio State University men’s basketball coach Thad Matta was nominated for the ESPN Infinini Coaches’ Charity Challenge, a national contest between 48 of the top basketball coaches in the nation. Each coach was asked to select a charity of their choice to receive a $5,000 donation and be eligible for a $100,000 donation in the event their coach won the contest. Thad Matta graciously chose Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio as his charity. The contest took place online, and included a daily voting component during the basketball season through the NCAA Tournament. In order to help Coach Matta win this contest, and win a $100,000 prize for Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio, Safelite AutoGlass® offered their full support and provided countless volunteers. Employees held a “get out the vote” day for the contest, and strongly encouraged employees to sign up to vote for Coach Matta and RMHC. Feeney even filmed a video encouraging Safelite® employees to support the campaign. Because of support from Safelite, Coach Matta won the contest and earned a $100,000 donation for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio.
About Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio
For three decades, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Central Ohio has been serving families with seriously ill children by providing a home-away-from-home at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House. From its beginnings as a grassroots movement established by a partnership between local McDonald's Owner/Operators and a group of women who wanted to help mothers of seriously ill children, the Charity has served thousands of families in their deepest times of need. The reality of having a child sick and in the hospital can be incredibly overwhelming to parents and siblings. What the Ronald McDonald House is able to provide these families is a bit of stability in the midst of unthinkable circumstances. When a child is hospitalized, the healing power of having family nearby is beyond measure. It is this heartfelt purpose that both drives and defines RMHC of Central Ohio.
About Safelite AutoGlass®
Safelite AutoGlass®, founded in 1947, is the nation’s leading provider of vehicle glass repair and replacement services, providing mobile service to more than 95 percent of the U.S. population in all 50 states. The Columbus, Ohio-based company employs nearly 10,000 people across the United States and serves more than 4.1 million customers annually. For more information, visit
www.safelite.com.