History

In 2005, our founder Jerry Wirth discussed the possibility of starting a charity project in Latvia with the then United States Ambassador Catherine Todd Bailey. After Ambassador Bailey and Mr. Wirth met with the management of the Children’s Clinical University Hospital to discuss the needs of children in Latvia, the idea of creating a charity to help children was born. Mr. Wirth later persuaded the leadership of the international charity Ronald McDonald House Charities Global in Chicago to send a team to Latvia to assess the possibility of supporting the establishment of an independent charity in Latvia.

Again with the help of Ambassador Bailey, Mr. Wirth and a team from Chicago travelled to hospitals, clinics and orphanages across Latvia. Mr. Wirth and the Chicago team also met with business leaders, doctors and politicians to gauge public interest and potential support for a children’s charity.

In 2007, Mr. Wirth founded Ronald McDonald House Charities Latvija (RMHC Latvija) and signed a license agreement with Ronald McDonald House Charities Global. For its part, RMHC Global agreed to provide a specially made Ronald McDonald vehicle and to provide training for our charity’s staff and board. RMHC Latvia then embarked on a three-year process of project development, legal registration, partnership building and fundraising in anticipation of being able to start providing medical services.

On 10 May 2010, our specially built Ronald McDonald House Charities vehicle arrived in Latvia. It was registered, all the relevant formalities were completed and at the end of 2010 it set off on its first visit.