Pal-Mac Tip Off Club

The “Grab ‘N Go Boys” visit the Ronald McDonald House
By Katie Consler

On Monday, February 18th, one day before the start of Section V Playoffs, the Pal-Mac Boys Varsity Basketball Team took some time off to do some good for the community.  In what has become an annual tradition, the team gathered to pack up fifty “Grab ‘N Go” lunch bags, each of which contained a sandwich, a juice box, fruit, chips and snacks.  They then loaded on a bus with their coaches and headed to the Ronald McDonald House, where they were welcomed by the staff as the “Grab ‘N Go Boys”.  After the lunches were put away, the team gathered with Maureen Milke, Secretary and Treasurer of the Pal-Mac Tip Off Club, to present a donation of $500.00 to Patty Schwartzweller Development Director of the Ronald McDonald House.

Before the team left, they were given a tour of the facility.  They were able to view some of the guest rooms, the library, the Great Room, and other open areas of the House.  As the tour progressed, they had the opportunity to say “hi” to some of the guests at the house, who were all very grateful for the lunches the boys had brought.  A little girl who had just been released from the hospital stood in the doorway of one of the guest rooms watching the team go by and saying “hi” to each and every one of them.

The Varsity Coaches take the team on this trip every year in an effort to educate young adults on the importance of organizations such as the Ronald McDonald House and how they help families in need.  They also hope that the trip will someday inspire the boys to become more involved in their community by joining and volunteering for worthwhile causes such as this. 

The Ronald McDonald House on Westmoreland Drive celebrated 18 years of helping families be with their children who are in area hospitals the day the “Grab ‘N Go Boys” came for a visit.