Who defaced the Ronald McDonald statue at home for ill children?
The Ronald McDonald House provides a home-like atmosphere for children undergoing extensive medical treatments.
鈥淚t provides a safe atmosphere,鈥� , 鈥淚f someone sees me inside here (with medical devices attached), they鈥檙e not going to make fun, and they鈥檙e going to support me.鈥�
But residents woke up this month to a disturbing site: The iconic statue of Ronald McDonald outside the house was destroyed.
On three separate visits this month, vandals burned Ronald鈥檚 face, cut off his feet with a saw, and decapitated the statue. Kristine Bickford, the house鈥檚 executive director,聽said volunteers had to move the statue鈥檚 remains inside because 鈥淭he kids were traumatized.鈥�
To the kids staying at the Ronald McDonald House, the iconic statue represents more than the fast-food chain that sponsors the home.
鈥淸The children] would sit on Ronnie, take pictures with Ronnie,鈥� Ms. Bickford told WCVB News. 鈥淚sn鈥檛 it sad?鈥澛�
鈥淚t鈥檚 just not funny,鈥� Fannie Hart, who is staying at the house with her son Xavier, told WCVB. 鈥淸The Ronald McDonald house] is the last place where you鈥檇 want to hurt someone.鈥�
Bickford said it will likely cost about to buy a new statue and the house has filed an insurance claim. As a future precautionary measure, Bickford says they will keep the new statue indoors and install security cameras outside.
Sympathizers started a GoFundMe page, a popular online fundraising site. Within one day, 18 people donated almost $3,000 to fund a new statue.
鈥淚鈥檓 absolutely touched and so pleased,鈥� Bickford said.聽
鈥淚 plead to anybody who did do this act, that they would come down and maybe look and see what we have here and what it really means to come into this house,鈥� Bickford told WCVB. 鈥淎nd they might have second thoughts about what they did. And maybe they鈥檇 even donate some volunteer hours here.鈥澛�
And Burlington isn鈥檛 the only New England town to witness Ronald McDonald vandalism this week.
Mary Ryan and her husband bought an antique Ronald sculpture for $1,200 years ago, but it went missing in August after their daughter hosted a teenage house party at their home in Leverett, Mass. found the three-foot statute Wednesday near a trash bin outside a local health club.聽聽
This report contains material from the Associated Press.
