Art Holekamp, 58, has a big family – more than 10,000 and counting. That’s because the McDonald’s franchise owner defines the term rather broadly. In addition to his wife, Diane, and four children, he also counts the 50 employees of his Gunbarrel restaurant as well as the thousands of families helped through the Ronald McDonald House, where he’s served on the board for nearly 15 years.
“When folks ask me what I do, I tell them I own a McDonald’s, but what I really do is work to feed 50 families every day,” he says.
Luckily, the three trailer loads of French fries each week help. And while the several thousand pounds of potatoes don’t literally feed Holekamp’s large brood, their high demand helps keep food on the table of the dedicated men and women who serve them. Also, a portion of their sales – and all the food served at McDonald’s area restaurants – goes toward the nearly fully-endowed Ronald McDonald House scholarship, which provides $1,000 scholarships to area high school students who need help achieving their college dream.
But the scholarships are just one piece of Holekamp’s philanthropic puzzle. Having been involved with the Chattanooga
Ronald McDonald House since its inception in the late 1980s, he fondly remembers providing the “muscle” needed to get the doors open, including sweeping, moving furniture and more. He also reminisces how his children, Amanda, Morgan, James and Robert, learned the value of giving back when they would volunteer as a family. But it wasn’t until he became a resident that he truly understood the significance of the House.
In 1994, Holekamp had been transferred to Nashville when his then 13-month-old son, James, needed open heart surgery. After several days recovering in intensive care, the little patient was ready for his first solid meal. About the time the hospital tray of mashed carrots arrived, Holekamp entered the room with dinner from the Ronald McDonald House – roast beef and gravy, mashed potatoes, salad, and dessert. The meal was intended for Diane, but when James saw the feast he stood up in bed, I.V.s and all, and pointed to the plate. Needless to say, the two shared the roast beef that evening.
“There is a huge memory of the Ronald House and my kid getting better,” he remembers. “That’s big.”
When the family returned to Chattanooga two years later, Holekamp joined the board of directors (the Atlanta was only in Nashville one month before asking to return to the Scenic City.) And if he could pull the pictures out of his wallet from his years of service, they’d reveal faces of grateful families who were given reprieve during an incredibly difficult and emotional time.
It’s a feeling that Holekamp and executive director, Jane Kaylor, know all too well. Unfortunately, Kaylor’s daughter battled cancer before the Chattanooga House was open. Today she runs the operation with a passion and dedication as only someone who’s been there can. Holekamp describes her as the “mother patriarch” of the family.
“Jane is very well respected throughout the organization,” says Holekamp. “She’s often used as a trainer on a national and global level.”
Like any proud papa, he nearly beams when talking about the 600 plus volunteers that keep the House running – a number that trumps most big-city Ronald McDonald House locations. He describes how Chattanooga has one of only 39 Care Mobiles in the world, which is a full-service mobile dental clinic that serves children without access to proper dental care. He also marvels at the community support that keeps the House strong, with donations of everything from washing machines to free billboards.
“That doesn’t mean we don’t have needs,” he says. “We’re feeling the effects of the economy just like everyone else, but we’re trying to get creative with our fundraising efforts.”
Luckily, he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty, or wet as the case may be. A recent fundraiser in Miller Plaza that required him to take about 40 rounds in a dunk tank raised $6,000 in two hours. And a cross-country charity motorcycle ride this summer from his Hixson home to Boise, Idaho, raised several thousand dollars. While it may not sound like much, each little bit helps, he says. Besides, dads are usually willing to do just about anything for their families.
The Chattanooga Ronald McDonald House marks its 20th birthday this year with a special celebration November 6 at the Chattanooga Zoo. While all events are free and open to the public, the House plans to focus on the families it has helped through the years and the friend’s who’ve made it possible. A children’s party featuring birthday cake with Ronald will be held from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m., followed by an adult function that evening with Atlanta cover band City Heat.