Father felt called to help McDonald Houses

Ronald McDonald House Charities has a special place in Tommy Neeson's heart.

"In late 1998, early 1999, my youngest daughter, Randi, was diagnosed with brain cancer and our family stayed at the Ronald McDonald House in New York City," he said. "It was then that I really found out what the houses do and how much help they need."

Randi died in February 1999.

Since then Mr. Neeson has wanted to do something to give back to the charity that had given to him and his family.

"I've been running since I was 8, and for me putting running together with helping people was the way to do it," said the Virginia Beach, Va., resident, a veteran of 19 marathons.

On Aug. 27, he began a 4 Million Steps run, which covers 2,300 miles from Bangor, Maine, to Miami, to raise money and awareness for the charity. He is scheduled to complete the run on Nov. 22.

Along the way, he has stopped at many Ronald McDonald houses, including the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Augusta on Oct. 29. By the end of the run, he will have visited 28 Ronald McDonald House Charities. The money raised during the run will be split among the houses he has visited.

"He's helping to connect the dots," said Betts Murdison, executive director of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Augusta. "Tommy's run is a reminder of how deeply we touch the families with what we do. He puts a face to the families we help every day."

Ronald McDonald House Charities provides free lodging for families of seriously ill children who are receiving treatment at nearby hospitals.

During Mr. Neeson's stop in Augusta, he also visited the Medical College of Georgia Children's Medical Center, the first children's hospital he has visited on his run.

"It was really neat to be able to visit the children at the medical center," he said. "It was definitely one of the highlights of my trip."

He got a lot of "fun questions," such as how he was going to dress for Halloween and what his favorite pet is.

"Kids think quite creatively," he said. "Most questions you get from adults will be about the run. Kids think about the fun stuff. I always think of kids' questions as fun questions."

He said his goal is to bring awareness to the important role the Ronald McDonald House Charities play in families' lives during difficult times, he said.

"We aren't going to be able to change the destination of where their life goes, but we can certainly make a difference in their journey," Mr. Neeson said. "Families can enjoy being together even during stressful times, and the houses play a huge part in making sure that happens. It made a lot of difference to my family and others who have stayed in the houses."

Reach Nikasha Dicks at (706) 823-3336 or nikasha.dicks@augustachronicle.com.