SPOKANE, Wash. – All day on Thursday, you can make a donation to charity all while enjoying a hearty Italian meal.
Ferrante's restaurant in the South Hill is holding a fundraiser Thursday with all proceeds going directly to the Ronald McDonald House charities.
The RMHC has local businesses sponsor a room. It is a part of their "adopt-a-room" program. The charity provides free housing and rooms to families whose kids are in Spokane for medical treatment.
Colleen Fox is the development director from the RMHC in Spokane. She said the rooms have undergone renovations from the sponsorships they've received from places like Ferrante's.
"They've renovated rooms, done painting, provided new linens," she said.
She also said they donated other items like televisions and gaming systems.
Sponsoring a room costs about $2,000 a year. Local businesses and organizations commit to supporting a room for two years.
Fox said the adopt-a-room program has helped over 100 families in the past five years.
Tony Ferrante, the owner of Ferrante's said he was approached by RMHC about sponsoring and was eager to help out.
"This is our fifth year adopting a room," he said.
"All our profits, everything from the past two days goes to the house."
Ferrante's began donating their proceeds on Wednesday and will continue through Tuesday. Ferrante said that after the initial $2,000 to sponsor the room, any extra funds would also go to the home.
"(It) will be for whatever they need, food, clothing, programs."
Ferrante also said his staff enjoyed having a hands-on approach with the room.
"We took the whole staff over, repainted, redecorated," he said.
"One of our customers actually donated an Xbox after he heard what we were doing."
Customers can dine in or take out, or make a purchase from the gift shop and those profits will go to the Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Ferrante's is located in Spokane's South Hill. The address is 4516 S. Regal St.
