All the money raised from the Gallop Stallion Services Auction stays right here in the Inland Northwest so that the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Spokane can continue serving thousands of families. The House provides a consistent and caring helping hand lessening the mental and financial strain on the families. It allows them to focus on the most important thing ... supporting their children. One parent was heard to say, "If we did not have the Ronald McDonald House, we would have had to sleep in our van and commute the hour and a half to the hospital when it was possible." One child's mother and grandparents stayed 23 nights. The mother said, "I didn't want to leave my daughter but also couldn't afford to stay in a motel for what we knew would be a long stay. We are eternally grateful to the Ronald McDonald House."

Each year prior to the Gallop Event, we try and educate you about the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Spokane, Washington. For this month's article, we'd like to share a story about one of our families. Unfortunately, stories like the one I'm about to share are common amongst the RMHC staff. Fortunately, people like you readers support our mission when participating at our Gallop Event!

Hunter's Story:

In March of 2006, one of our RMHC families noticed a lump on the left side of their son's neck. When they asked him about it, he told them that he was pushed down at school. Concerned that he had a pulled muscle, his parents took him to see a doctor. An ultrasound was done and the doctor told them it may be Hodgkin's disease (cancer of the lymph nodes) but to confirm, more testing would be needed. A second opinion revealed that it may be a mono-virus. Concerned with the conflicting opinions, his parents took him to a specialist. The third diagnosis was comforting; this doctor did not think he had Hodgkin's disease because it is so rare in a five-year-old, and the child was showing no symptoms of Hodgkin's except for the lump on his neck. The doctor put him on antibiotics for two weeks hoping it was an infection. Easter Sunday their son ran a fever and the lump on his neck had grown to about the size of a softball. A CT scan was ordered and the report showed that Lymphoma was suspected. A biopsy was taken that May, the same month his parents received a call that their five-year-old son did indeed have Hodgkin's disease. The family would have to leave their home in Missoula, Montana and travel to Spokane for treatment. His parents commented that a person's home is their comfort zone. Because the Ronald McDonald House had provided them with that same comfort zone, they had been able to focus completely on their son's recovery. "Allowing our family to stay together has made all the difference in our son's progress," noted his mother. Without the Ronald McDonald House, they would financially not been able to stay together. Their son had been a real trooper through all of his treatment. He had a smile on his face and loved playing practical jokes on his nine year old sister, staff at the radiation department of Sacred Heart Medical Center, the Ronald McDonald House staff, and everyone else he could befriend. However, he did get lonely for home and missed his dad, sister, and extended family in Montana when they couldn't be with him. When it was just he and his mother, they found peace within the walls of the House. His mother reflects, "Ronald McDonald House has provided a home for us and an opportunity to talk with other families who are in similar situations for support and encouragement." When his mother couldn't find him, nine times out of ten he'd be sitting in the office chatting up a storm to whoever would listen. Hunter, as he is called, became very attached to his new home. His mother explains, "We decided one weekend to go home for a visit. Hunter was so excited to see everyone back in Montana, but he got worried that our room wouldn't be there when we returned. I tried to reassure him that it would, but he wouldn't listen. Pretty soon we were on a quest to find the Ronald McDonald House Operations Director. He had to ask her for himself. Once she told him that our room would still be there when we got back, Hunter decided we could go home." This ordeal has been hard on the entire family. For Hunter's parents, it was devastating to hear that their child had cancer. His Mom told us, "It has been really hard coming to terms with the saying 'A mother's kiss and a Band-Aid does the trick for all injuries,' but I can't kiss this one away. It is also hard to watch your child go through all the tests, chemotherapy and radiation. Hunter has to do all the work and all I can do is support him. We feel very helpless and that's hard for us to deal with. But Hunter has done so wonderful through all his treatments that it has made it a little easier for us and especially for him." Hunter endured five long months of chemotherapy in addition to completing his radiation treatments. This story ends well when we here at the Ronald McDonald House learned of Hunter being in remission and being able to go home. But Hunter's parents tell us often of his determination to visit his second home, the Ronald McDonald House, as often as he can.

Although the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Spokane has 21 rooms, typically there can be a waiting list for families ... that is how strong the need is. Many families need to stay for months on end. Children come to the Ronald McDonald House for all different health afflictions. The main ones are cancer, trauma, pre-mature or complicated births. Ronald McDonald serves children and their families of all different races, religion or ability to pay.

The Gallop Stallion Service Auction is one of Ronald McDonald House Charities top fundraiser! Each year we profess our upcoming event has one of the most impressive lineups ever. But, it's true. Each year new stallion owners join the ranks of our current Gallop stallion owners in wanting to support our mission!

This year's Event has stallions participating from Kentucky, Washington, Texas, California, Montana, Mississippi, Utah, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Georgia, Arizona, Florida, Oregon, Kansas, and Idaho. Stallion breeding fees range from $500 to $25,000 per service. That is right; you heard correctly ... $25,000! This year's event offers services to National & Congress Champions, World & Reserve Champions (nearly half of the line-up are two-time World Champions, while others are five or more time World Champions). Many of you will recognize their names as they are leading sires of their breed producing World and Reserve World Champion offspring.

Event underwriter Rhodes River Ranch returns in their fifth year of presenting the Gallop Event. They are located at the foothills of the Cascades, just an hour and a half north of Seattle/Tacoma International Airport in beautiful Arlington, Washington. The Ranch is dedicated to breeding, raising, and training future world champion performance horses. Rhodes River Ranch is home to renowned Champion Quarter Horse Stallion, 'Shine Like Hail." They additionally offer some of the finest performance prospects with bloodlines such as Peptoboonsmal; High Brow Cat; Soula Jule Star; Nic It In The Bud; Starlights Joy; Shine By The Bay; CD Olena; Topsail Whiz; TR Dual Rey; CD Lights, and Shine Like Hail. They welcome visitors to tour their site and/or contact them for more information regarding a service, stallion, sales or just to visit. To learn more about the Ranch, go to www.rhodesriverranch.com.

As one of the Northwest's Premier Entertainment Experiences, Northern Quest Casino joins ranks with Rhodes River Ranch in underwriting, once again, this upcoming Gallop Stallion Services Auction. Located in Airway Heights, just ten minutes west of downtown Spokane, the event will take place in the Pend Oreille Family Pavilion. It has state of the art staging and audience seating, adding another level of quality to the event.

Gallop will kick off Sunday, February 8, 2009 at 12:00 noon, PST, enabling national and international locations to participate in the bidding. All the stallions will be presented on thirty-foot screens at the event. Once again, Internet on-lookers will be able to watch the event being streamed live to their computers, pick up their phones and dial a 1-800 number (accessible on our website at noon, the day of the auction), and bid on a service of any one of the stallions in our line-up. Twelve Gallop phone operators, located at the event, will receive those incoming calls and bid live for you, the bidder.

This is a time when you should do some homework on the mare care facilities, costs, and breeding procedures of stallion and ranches that are on your list. It also gives you an opportunity to take a good look at these stallions close up. Visit our website for more insightful information at www.gallopauction.org or www.gallopauction.com. If you are looking at transporting semen, be sure to research by internet or contact those stallion owners prior to the event and find out what your costs will be. In addition, check on what their "Live Foal Guarantee" consists of. Those costs will be between you and the stallion owners or breeding farms.

Do not miss the unforgettable surprise spectacular of Gallop's Opening Ceremony at 12:00 noon, PST. Watch as the stage comes alive filled with talent and entertainment that will astound you! Actress/Singer Valerie Stichweh (who's been performing at the Gallop event for over a decade), will entertain the audience and internet viewers along with the highly skilled performers, comedians, and actors ... Kevin Dodson, Randy Wilcox, and Kevin Wakefield. Together, they will feature impersonations of rock stars such as Diana Ross; Madonna; Tom Petty; Styx; Mick Jagger; Johnny Cash; Michael Jackson; and more! Their amazing showmanship and truly fantastic renditions of oldies favorites, Motown, Disco, '70's Classics, '80's hits and more are sure to create a festive vibe and bring spectators to their feet!

Do not miss the opportunity to breed to some of the world's finest! Advanced mail, phone, and Internet bids will be accepted until 6:00 pm, Saturday, February 7, 2009, the night before the sale. All other bidding will be accepted once the auction kicks off at 12:00 noon, PST, on Sunday, February 8th.

The Gallop will also have several "non stallion service" auctioned items that we are excited to offer. Be sure to visit our website at www.gallopauction.org to check out these items as the event approaches. And for those participating, don't forget the silent auction items on the tables at the event. There will be something for everyone!

Ronald McDonald House Charities is indebted to our Underwriters, Donors, Stallion Owners, and Sponsors. We want to additionally thank sponsor, Horse Previews Magazine & Exchange Publishing, for graciously allowing us to better educate the public on our auction and its beneficiary. Once again, emails and calls are coming in from everywhere! We are grateful to Horse Previews' editor Helen, and staff for the opportunity they have provided us. What better time to shake that cabin fever! Head on over to the Northern Quest Casino Pavilion on Sunday, February 8, 2009, and join in on the fun!

Whether it is at the event or from the comfort of your homes all across the world ... the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Spokane hopes to see all of you at the Gallop Stallion Service Auction on Sunday, February 8, 2009, to help support these children and their families in a "Fun"-raising event!

For more information about Gallop or the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Spokane, please call Barb Turner at 509/990-4167 or email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it