Falls Church Car Dealer Donates Minivan to Ronald McDonald House

With an aging van used to take the families of children receiving medical treatments in the Washington, D.C. area to and from local hospitals, the Washington, D.C. Ronald McDonald House needed some new wheels.

Thursday morning, they got their wish. Lisa Smith, executive director of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Washington, D.C. and Cortney Kelly, operations manager for the house in the District of Colombia, picked the 2011 Honda Odyssey up from Bill Page Honda in Falls Church.

“It’s going to make a tremendous difference in the way we can transport families,” Smith said. “We could have never done this without Bill Page Honda.”

The van was awarded to the charity through the National Hockey League’s “The Biggest Assist Happens Off the Ice” program. Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Washington was selected after the Washington Capitals defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic. Honda Motor Co., Inc. agreed to give the charity the van and Bill Page Honda furnished the eight-passenger minivan.

Brian Kanyan, chief financial officer for the Falls Church-based dealership, said they are privileged to be part of the program. He said the minivan will have leather, heated seats, power features throughout the vehicle and will be equipped with XM Radio.

“I think it’s great what they do for children and their families,” Kanyan said.

RHMC of Greater Washington, D.C. supports two local houses and a Ronald McDonald Family Room at Children’s National Medical Center. In more than 30 years, the organization has serviced more than 19,000 families.