The first Ronald McDonald House opened in 1974.
It opened in Philadelphia to provide families with a place to stay while their seriously ill children received treatment at nearby hospitals. The project grew from cooperation among Philadelphia Eagles players, the team's supporters, doctors and McDonald's.
The name connected the accommodation program with McDonald's best-known character, Ronald McDonald. This extended the character's identity beyond advertising and into a charitable cause associated with families and children's healthcare.
Ronald McDonald House Charities was established later, in 1984, to support and coordinate programs more broadly. The original house therefore predates the formal charity by a decade.