Central Illinois To Get $7M Ronald McDonald House

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) -- A $7 million Ronald McDonald House will be built in central Illinois.

The Journal Star reports that Peoria officials hope to break ground on the project in September.

The building will be located near OSF HealthCare Children's Hospital of Illinois and UnityPoint Health-Methodist.

It'll feature 22 bedrooms for families of children receiving care in an area hospital.

Kelly Thompson is CEO of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Illinois. She says the house will serve children getting care up to their 22nd birthday.

Thompson says about 80 percent of funds are expected to be raised by September. Area McDonald's restaurants have pledged raising $500,000 toward the project.

Thompson says construction will take about 14 months and the facility is scheduled to open October 2019.

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