Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Tri-State had their third annual Christmas fundraiser Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church in Huntington.

“Cookies with Santa and Superheroes” is a fundraiser centered around children.

Jaye Toler, director of development at RMH, said they got so much support for sick children and their families at the house throughout the year.

“The heart of this fundraiser is the children,” Toler said. “We do it not because it’s the biggest money maker, but it’s a great act of goodwill to celebrate our community and the holidays in this heartfelt event.”

RMH is a home away from home for families with children who are facing life-threatening illnesses and receiving care in the surrounding the area.

“We chase away a child’s fear by keeping mommy and daddy close,” Toler said. “We believe when a child is hospitalized, the love and support of a family is almost as powerful as the strongest medicine prescribed.”

Hannah Blatt, graduate teaching assistant at the Department of Communication Studies who has been a volunteer at RMH for about 10 months, said her experiences at RMH have taught her a lot about the charity itself and what goes on behind the scenes that a lot of people don’t know they do.

“I think this fundraiser can be a good opportunity for families to bring their kids and show them how not everybody has what we have this holiday season, and we all need to be happy that we have a good health,”  Blatt said.

Toler said she hopes parents that attended the event will think about how fortunate they are that their children are healthy.

“This is also a way for families with healthy children to pay it forward to families that are helping their sick children get well,” Toler said.

The fundraiser cost $5 per person and all the proceeds will go to the house.

The RMH serves families from anywhere in West Virginia to as far as Russia. It can also take up to 20 families at a time.

Kessyl Lim can be contacted at [email protected].