Jake’s Bowling Social a thank you to Ronald McDonald House Charities

A bowling social in late May will help raise funds to keep families close together as their children recover in hospital.

Jake Sippel, a 17-year-old, will host Jake’s Bowling Social on May 25 at Stratford’s Mike’s Bowling Lanes. The event will raise money for Ronald McDonald House of Southwestern Ontario, which supported Sippel and his family during his two-week stay at the London Children’s Hospital as he recovered from second-degree burns on 40 per cent of his body. 

"At the time, I was just three-years-old and so I was really scared of being on my own. Luckily, the Ronald McDonald House stepped up and let my family stay there so I wasn't afraid of being on my own,” Sippel said. “As I got older, I realized that having them there really did mean a lot to me and it was all thanks to the Ronald McDonald House, so I wanted to do something to give back."

Sippel ran five bowling socials, but not consecutively due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. He also partnered with Mazda for an item donation drive just before Christmas where his Mazda CX-90 was filled with toys for the kids and hygiene products for the parents staying at the Ronald McDonald House of Southwestern Ontario.

After collecting the funds for the Ronald McDonald House, Sippel will bring the money over to the organization and touch base with the staff. He said the organization plans to make some upgrades to house more families. The Ronald McDonald House Charity of Southwestern Ontario website indicated that two out of three Canadians live in a city without a specialized children’s hospital.

Knowing how the Ronald McDonald House made his stay more comfortable, Sippel wants children in the hospital to have the same sense of comfort and security.

“For me, it meant a lot and I know that other kids would be scared as well being on their own in a big hospital while recovering from injury and I want kids to feel comfortable as I was at my time at the hospital thanks to the Ronald McDonald House,” he said.

Anyone looking to participate in Jake’s Bowling Social can either send a text to 226-880-1881 or email to jakesippel33@icloud.com by May 20.