Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Dakota (RMHC-SD) is announced plans to build a Ronald McDonald House in Rapid City, expanding the organization’s mission of “keeping families close” to western South Dakota.
Since 1983, more than 6,400 West River South Dakota families have spent more than 34,000 nights at one of the two Ronald McDonald Houses in Sioux Falls.
They will now expand capacity to help families by building a Ronald McDonald House near Monument Health, the first location in the Black Hills. This project:
- We will serve 600+ families per year who need to travel far from home to stay close to their sick or injured child.
- Families will stay more than 3,500 nights each year and receive the comforts of home without incurring personal expenses for hotel and food.
- Regional medical growth indicates 19 families will need these services every day by 2030.
The Rapid City Ronald McDonald House will include 12 private bedrooms each with an ensuite bathroom. Plans also include a fully equipped kitchen, shared lounging spaces, dedicated children’s play and gaming areas, guest laundry facilities, offices for on-site staff, plus room for future expansion.
The new facility will be located at the corner of East Fairmont Boulevard and Elm Avenue, just blocks from Monument Health’s main campus. Construction is set to begin in September, and the Rapid City Ronald McDonald House aims to open its doors by late 2026.
According to the press release, this project is made possible by generous support from the Klinefelter family of Rapid City, a partnership with Monument Health, and the support of many others across South Dakota.
Jennifer and Thomas Osen shared, “Nobody ever thinks they’re going to need a Ronald McDonald House. People don’t want to have to go to the Ronald McDonald House. But because it’s here is life changing for us.” The Osen family was a 10-hour drive from their home in Williston, ND, and stayed in the Sioux Falls Ronald McDonald House for 122 nights while their daughter Lily-Anne spent 4 months in the NICU.
