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We're dancing to make a difference for sick kids!
When a child is injured, or diagnosed with a serious illness, it affects the whole family. Lives can be turned upside down, and puts families under enormous pressure. For many families, it can feel like it’s impossible to hold it together.
That’s why we’re joining Ronald McDonald House to Dance for Sick Kids this year.
We’ll be dancing to make a difference every day for 7 days, to raise money that will help families stay in a home-away-from-home, access emotional and financial support, and more. From day one in the hospital and for as long as it takes, your help ensures that families don’t have to navigate the challenges of illness or injury alone.
Please support us by making a tax-deductible donation to our challenge. Your generosity will make sure that Ronald McDonald House can support even more families with a seriously ill or injured child when they need it most.
OUR IMPACT
So far, this year we have provided:
9
Nights for sick kids and their families
80
Hot meals from the family kitchen
76
School lessons for sick kids
Thanks to all the generous people who’ve donated to our challenge.
$319
Jo Buena
$215
Platform Studio
Thanks Jo organising this event and I am very proud of you ❤️
$106
Monstar
Go Joey! Such an amazing cause — wish I could be there dancing with you! 💃❤️
$100
Kylie Lam
Love your work Jo Buena. Your an inspiration and we love you XX
$65
Janine Bird
You’re an inspiration Jo. So happy to support you for this incredible cause 🩷
$65
Ilana Blampied
Well done Jo
$55
Sophie
$55
Theo Sathananthan
Thanks Jo for doing this!
$55
The Alien
Awesome effort Jo.
$50
Sarah K
Well done Jo- great cause . Keep dancing!
$50
Mark Mullins
Amazing, Jo! This is such a great cause!
$50
Cromwel Flores
$34
Lisha Francis
$34
Nikki Tyler
Well done Jo - you are a joy and a blessing and a beautiful human
$34
Laura Hull
Good on you Jo, you are such a good human!
$34
Anonymous
$34
Tina Ko
$33
Zoe Blasch
$30
Amy Murray
You are amazing, such a worthy cause!! So excited to Samba <3
$28
Mandy Meinertzhagen
$20
Anonymous
$20
Danielle Flanagan
ONYA JO-JO. Keep doing great things.
$20
Patty
$12
Cin
Hey Jo! Sorry I can’t make it to the event! love what you’re doing! Here’s a small contribution to the cause!
$6
Jo Buena
Our Team Members
How Your Donation Helps
A global research team* worked with Ronald McDonald House to evaluate the impact of our House Program on families around the world. The following is a summary of those findings**.
Access to the best care
Our House Program makes it possible for families who travel long distances, to access the top children’s hospitals around the world.
Stronger mental health
Having a child in hospital can trigger clinical anxiety in parents. Our Houses provide families with the emotional, mental and practical support to better manage their stress so that they can be more actively involved in the care of their children.
Financial peace of mind
Ongoing medical bills, travel, and accommodation costs are a huge source of stress for many families. Our Houses offer accommodation at no cost, close to hospitals, to alleviate some of the burden.
Parents sleep better
Parents who sleep at one of our Houses have a better night’s rest than those that sleep at their child’s hospital bedside. This ensures they have the strength to support their child.
Children’s recovery
Having family and siblings close by, who are invested in a child’s care, can improve a hospitalised child’s recovery and treatment outcomes.
Positive hospital experience
Families who stay at a Ronald McDonald House find they have a more positive experience of hospital than those that stay elsewhere.
Families cope better
Having family together under one roof, including the support of experienced volunteers and other families, greatly improves a family’s ability to cope with having a child in hospital.
Safe, affordable alternative to hospital
Many high-risk pregnant women who are stable but need to be close to care, can now afford to stay close to care. This is also the case for parents who have a newborn in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Siblings cope better
Play is how children interact and make sense of the world. That’s why play areas are such an important part of our offering. They allow siblings to connect and cope more with the stress of a difficult situation.
* The global team of researchers was drawn from leading universities, including the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), George Washington University, the University of Chicago, as well as from top medical centres in Hong Kong; Sydney, Australia; the United Kingdom; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cincinnati, U.S.; and Toronto, Canada.
** Findings taken from Ronald McDonald House Impact Research – the name for a suite of studies on the impact of Ronald McDonald House around the world. The summaries provided here provide a snapshot of the findings from each of the key Ronald McDonald House Impact studies.
CONTACT THE DANCE FOR SICK KIDS TEAM
If you have any questions about Dance for Sick Kids or need a hand with anything, please reach out. We're here to help!
In the spirit of reconciliation, Dance for Sick Kids respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands, skies and waterways where we work, live and dance. We honour their enduring connection to this land, its communities, and the surrounding waterways. We recognise and respect the diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples within the families we support, as well as our employees, volunteers, and supporters. We extend our deepest respects to their Cultures and to Elders past and present. We affirm that the land we stand on has always been, and will always remain, Aboriginal land.
Dance for Sick Kids welcomes people of all abilities, identities, and backgrounds. We are committed to creating an inclusive, respectful, and safe space for everyone to participate and belong.
© Copyright 2025 | Terms and Conditions | Safeguarding Children and Young People Statement | Competition Terms and Conditions
CONTACT US 0449 007 302 danceforsickkids@rmhc.org.au
Ronald McDonald House Greater Western Sydney | 1 Labyrinth Way, Westmead NSW 2145 Australia | ABN: 30 540 051 012
Ronald McDonald House Victoria & Tasmania | 863 Brunswick Street North, Fitzroy North Vic 3068 | ABN: 88 762 184 608
I am part of Melbourne Moves for Good team