Your child is in an out-of-town hospital and you’re bombarded by tough decisions. You need a good night’s sleep and a comforting environment so you can get back to your child’s bedside. In Greenville, S.C., like towns all across the country, Ronald McDonald House Charities is dedicated to making sure parents can do just that. 

There are 245 Ronald McDonald Houses around the world that offer “a home away from home” to families of hospitalized children.

“We’ve got an incredible corporate support base here,” says Sydney Fanning, executive director of Greenville’s Ronald McDonald House.

The annual BMW Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs golf tournament is one of the charity’s most important fund-raising sources, offering major sponsors like IMI the opportunity to contribute to the heartwarming mission of the Ronald McDonald House.

This year, the tournament raised $675,865 for area charities, bringing the six-year fundraising total to more than $3.7 million. Each year, the Ronald McDonald House of Greenville has been a grateful recipient of a portion of those proceeds.

 “Every year we’re just thrilled to be a part of [the tournament],” says Fanning. This year, several representatives of Greenville’s RMHC house volunteered at the tournament as a way of saying thank you to their corporate sponsors.

Although the house requests a donation of eight dollars nightly, families are encouraged to stay as long as they need to, whether they can afford the donation or not.

As a major sponsor of the BMW Pro-Am, IMI is pleased to see their corporate giving support a charity that makes such a tangible difference in the lives of these families. As IMI’s Dan Collins puts it, “Knowing that our dollars can bring some physical comfort to families with a sick child is one of the most rewarding things we can do. With the Shriners Hospital bringing kids from all over the country to our city, the Ronald McDonald House needs everyone’s help, and we are so grateful that the BMW Pro-Am provides a great way to lend a helping hand.”