McDonald's Family Walking Festival raises money for Ronald McDonald House

McDonald's hosted the 2024 Family Walking Festival on Sunday to raise money for its Ronald McDonald House Charities providing housing for children with serious illnesses and their families.

Thousands of participants depart from the Peace Plaza of the World Cup Park in Sangam-dong, western Seoul, Sunday morning for the 2024 McDonald’s Family Walking Festival. [MCDONALD'S KOREA]

Some 3,000 participants took part in the 2024 McDonald's Family Walking Festival on Sunday, a charity event with a participation fee ranging from 30,000 won ($22) to 50,000 won that will be donated to a nonprofit organization associated with the fast food chain.

The participants walked around Seoul World Cup Park Peace Plaza in western Seoul from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. together with bright yellow T-shirts and white hats.

The festival was hosted by McDonald's Korea and sponsored by partners including Maeil Dairy, Ottogi, Coca-Cola, Del Monte, John Cook Deli Meats, Shinsegae Food, Ganong Bio, CJ CheilJedang and Pulmuone.

Assorted goods provided at McDonald's Family Walking Festival. [MCDONALD'S KOREA]

To mark the month of May, widely considered "Family Month" in Korea, the event is intended to support children facing serious health challenges in the community, with admission fees worth 116 million won donated to the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Korea, a nonprofit organization partnered with McDonald's Korea.

RMHC provides housing for children with serious illnesses who require long-term treatment and their families, enabling them to stay near their medical care centers and focus on their treatment.

May is known as "Family Month" for containing three special days — Children’s Day on May 5, Parents’ Day on May 8, and Teachers’ Day on May 15.

Beginning with welcoming remarks from McDonald's Korea CEO Kim Ki-won, participants started stretching with the Doosan Bears' cheerleading team including fan favorite Park Ki-ryang.

The walking course spanning four kilometers (2.5 miles) incorporated various themed zones to enhance the experience and keep spirits high.

During the walk, the participants were able to revel in a myriad of fun activities such as a cheer-up zone, where the sound of drums and energetic music provided an uplifting boost to walkers, and a bubble zone that welcomed delighted children who were fascinated with the clouds of shimmering bubbles floating around them.

Korean celebrities and athletes also took part in the event, including Pengsoo, the popular penguin character from public broadcaster EBS’ Giant Peng TV show, who excited kids with his playful personality, as well as singer Yook Joong-wan, actor Kim Kwang-kyu, fencing gold medalist Kim Jun-ho and marathon runner Lee Bong-joo.

Korean fans of McDonald's expressed strong interest in the fast food chain's "Taste of Korea" booth as it showcased past "Taste of Korea" menu items, allowing visitors to see the evolution of the localized offerings throughout the years.

Other exhibits were also a hit with kids, creating an atmosphere of excitement and joy. The RMHC Korea booth was particularly popular, with a long line of eager children waiting their turns to enjoy a vibrant, colorful bouncy house as the air filled with the sounds of laughter from those jumping and playing inside. RMHC Korea also offered free cotton candy, attracting even more young visitors.

Nearby, Maeil Dairy's booth had set up an instant film camera, capturing the smiles and joyful moments of families and friends. Participants lined up to have their photos taken, as they wanted to capture their memorable experiences at the event.

Through the event, McDonald's Korea has raised 116 million won, which will be used to help build an Ronald McDonald House (RMH) in Seoul.

The first RMH in Korea opened in 2019 at Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang.

BY CHOI HAE-JIN [choi.haejin@joongang.co.kr]