Manchester City star Jack Grealish has jetted off for World Cup duty with England - but not before he left a farewell gift for charity.
Grealish has donated two pairs of tickets to his executive box at the Etihad Stadium to raise money for Ronald McDonald House Charities UK.
Dad Kevin represented the family at the A Grand Celebration: Friends of Birmingham in aid of Ronald McDonald House Charities UK event at the Grand Hotel in Birmingham earlier this month and took organisers by surprise with the generous gesture from his son. It contributed towards a fundraising total of more than £200,000 on the night.
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The Grealishes have a close affinity with the charity through Birmingham Children's Hospital, where Jack's younger sister, Holly, who has cerebral palsy, was treated.
Anna Bullock, National Events Manager at Ronald McDonald House Charities UK, said: “Our Gala Dinner in Birmingham was a wonderful occasion and we couldn’t be more grateful to everyone who either attended or supported the event and helped to make it such a huge success.
"Kevin’s generous auction donation of hospitality for two in his box at Manchester City was really appreciated and I know the winners are very much looking forward to their special visit to the Ethiad Stadium, especially as it might involve a meeting with Jack Grealish himself!
"The money raised on the night will make a huge difference to our work in ensuring that sick children in hospital can have their families close by, a cause I know the Grealish family can really relate to."
Ronald McDonald House Charities UK is an independent Charity, which operates 14 Houses across England, Wales, and Scotland, providing free ‘home away from home’ accommodation.
The Houses keep families together, close to their sick children in hospital.
They provide a place to sleep, cook, rest and retain some sense of normal life; a lifeline for families at a very stressful time, especially when they are far from home.
A Ronald McDonald House saves each family an average of £1,240 in out-of-pocket accommodation expenses.
Ronald McDonald House Manchester has 65 en-suite bedrooms and provides free ‘home away from home’ accommodation to families with children receiving treatment in the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and St Mary’s Neonatal Unit.
Families travel to Manchester from across the North West, the UK and even internationally, so that their children can receive specialist treatment at The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
378 families stayed at the Manchester House in 2021, with the longest family stay being 1,192 nights.
There will be a similar gala to the one in Birmingham at The Hilton, Deansgate, Manchester, on Friday 2nd December.
Anybody interested in sponsoring the event or donating auction items can contact Anna Bullock on 0161 804 7109 or anna.bullock@uk.mcd.com
To find out more about Ronald McDonald House Charities, including how to donate, visit the website here.
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