San Diego’s Ronald McDonald House.
A wonderful trait of Giving Back readers is their love of bringing friends together for a great cause. That’s what happens at Dinner with Friends, an annual evening of food, entertainment, and fundraising at San Diego’s Ronald McDonald House, taking place on May 6th.
It all began six years ago, when a medical scare inspired Carlos Sanguinetti to do more to give back to the community. After cooking a barbecued meal for families at the Ronald McDonald House, he brainstormed with his longtime friend, Matt Teeter, about what more they could do. They invited friends and family to the House for the first Dinner with Friends, gathering 100 people and raising over $8,000. The event just keeps getting bigger and better: last year, more than 250 guests helped Matt and Carlos raise over $70,000. To date, they have raised more than $200,000 to provide a “home away from home” that keeps families close to their hospitalized children.
Carlos Sanguinetti and Matt Teeter are charismatic people who operate the event on a $0 budget, meaning all items are donated. As a result, 100% of funds raised go directly to family care at San Diego’s Ronald McDonald House. The success of the event is due to the dedication of the Sanguinetti and Teeter families, but also the involvement of committee members such as Jennifer Gramins and Jordan Evans, as well as CBS News 8 anchor Carlo Cecchetto.
This year, the Dinner with Friends committee has added the opportunity to Fund a Family prior to the event. Additional funds raised will help provide a “home away from home” for families that spend the night in one of the 47 guest rooms, or visit during the day for a hot meal, warm shower, or a quiet place to rest.
Tune into the Scott & BR Show on the Mighty 1090 on April 28th as the show will be broadcasting live from San Diego’s Ronald McDonald House.
Photos By: Evgeny Yorobe Photography
