McDonald’s is bringing McHappy Day® to Northern Ireland this September, with a pledge to raise funds for Ronald McDonald House UK and Ronald McDonald House Ireland.

The nationwide fundraising day will take place on Saturday 26^th September and give McDonald’s customers the opportunity to raise vital funds for families facing some of the hardest moments of their lives, just by purchasing their favourite McDonald’s main menu meals.

On McHappy Day®, £1 from every qualifying main meal* will be donated directly from McDonald’s to the charity. This means whether it’s a Big Mac® Meal or a McNuggets® Meal, every order placed in restaurants or via home delivery – via the McDonald’s App, Deliveroo, Uber Eats and JustEat – will help fund the charity’s unwavering support for families with seriously ill children across the UK and Ireland.

To celebrate McHappy Day®, McDonald’s has also launched a limited-edition drop of Grimace Beanies, which can be purchased for £5 at the Kiosks in restaurants or via the McDonald’s App for collection. All proceeds from the sale of the beanies will be donated straight to the charity. The Grimace Beanie is completely reversible, featuring the beloved Grimace character on one side and an all-yellow side, allowing customers to switch up their look at the drop of a hat!

McDonald’s 36 restaurants across Northern Ireland will have something different going on in support of the charities – from celebrity guest appearances to family fun activities and fundraising, because on McHappy Day® every visit counts.

Ronald McDonald House UK and Ronald McDonald House Ireland offer vital support for families with children in hospital by providing them free accommodation, within walking distance of their ward. The Houses give families access to community and a place that they can call home, helping to alleviate the practical and financial pressures that come with hospital stays.

McHappy Day

Lauren Schultz, CEO at McDonald’s UK & Ireland, said: “McHappy Day® is something millions of McDonald’s customers around the world have been part of for decades, and we’re incredibly proud to be bringing it to Ireland for the first time this year. Ronald McDonald House UK and Ronald McDonald House Ireland provide truly extraordinary support, meaning that when a family’s world is turned upside down by a child’s illness, they can be right there by their child’s side at no cost to them as a family. McHappy Day® will help to fund those houses and give more families the chance to stay together during one of the hardest experiences imaginable. It’s only possible through the generosity of our customers, Franchisees and supply partners – every meal purchased on Saturday 26th September, every beanie bought, will help to make a genuine difference to families who need it most.”

Ella Joseph, CEO at Ronald McDonald House UK, said: “We’re so excited to be part of the very first UK McHappy Day®. The families who stay with us are often facing the unimaginable – juggling a seriously ill child and the prospect of weeks or months away from home, while trying to hold everything together. The support McDonald’s, its customers and suppliers will provide to us through McHappy Day® means we can be there for those families, when they need us most.”

Joe Kenny, CEO at Ronald McDonald House Ireland, said: “When a child is in hospital, having their family nearby can make all the difference. The funds raised through McHappy Day® help us keep families close when they need each other most. On behalf of the families we support, I want to thank McDonald’s, its Franchisees, crew members, suppliers and customers for their incredible commitment to helping families stay together during difficult times. Their support helps ensure families can remain close to their child when they need each other most.”

McDonald’s supply partners from across the UK and Ireland will also play an important role in the fundraising initiative. Through a range of donations linked to the sale of selected products on McHappy Day®, supply partners will help raise vital funds for Ronald McDonald House UK and Ronald McDonald House Ireland.