The Reno Ronald McDonald House has been helping families in need for more than three decades.

"The mission is to provide a home away from home and to keep families healthy and comfortable and safe while their child is here in medical care," said Executive Director Laurie Gorris.  "Every year over 800 families come through these doors, whether they stay for one night or three months, we help over 800 families every year."

The house was built in 1987 and some parts of it haven't changed much since.  That's why a renovation project is set to start around the first of the year.

"We're really excited," Gorris said.  "We just had our Red Shoe Gala and we were able to raise $105,000 that night.  Then, a local foundation, The Pennington Foundation, decided to match what we raised that night.  So we have $210,000 and we get to remodel all of our rooms.  Our 12-bedroom house gets to be remodeled and refreshed for our families."

One of those rooms will be designated a "Clean Room."

"So for those families that are going though treatments for cancer or other diseases, it will be completely hygienic, completely separate from the rest of the rooms," Gorris said.   "So if the child does need to stay at the house, it's safe, so they don't have to travel to say Yerington or Fernley every night."

There will be upgrades to the downstairs recreation room as well.  The work will be done in phases so guests can continue to stay there.

"We're very fortunate to be so close to the hospital," Gorris said.  "We don't want to relocate during that time so we're doing our best to make sure families are comfortable and safe while we're going through construction."

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