Mission Statement
We support participating Ronald McDonald House Charities Chapters through shooting sports to improve the lives of critically-ill children and their families.
What We Do
Kids & Clays schedules and coordinates shooting events to support participating Ronald McDonald House Charity Chapters.
Kids & Clays solicits in-kind contributions from generous national sponsors and donors to be used by participating Chapters who host annual Sporting Clays, Skeet and Trap fundraising events.
Kids & Clays also provides each participating Chapter with resources to run each event and offers on-site support to help with the events.
Kids & Clays also hosts an annual National Drawing that generates funds for both Kids & Clays Foundation and the participating Chapters who participate in our sweepstakes.
- Participating Chapters keep 100% net of their event proceeds!
- Participating Chapters to keep 100% of their National Drawing ticket proceeds!
- Has helped net over $40,000,000 for participating Chapters since 1999!
Our History
In 1999, Glenn and Kathy Lubeznik, McDonald’s owner/operators in Northwest Indiana, chaired the first annual Sporting Clays Tournament Event benefitting the Chicago Ronald McDonald House® near the University of Chicago Children’s Hospital. With the support of Winchester Ammunition, McDonald’s Owner/Operators and McDonald’s Suppliers, the event hosted 137 participants and generated $15,800 net for the House.
The next year, companies and organizations such as Browning, Charles Daley, Pace American Trailers, Coca Cola, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and the National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA) followed Winchester’s lead and agreed to support the event as sponsors. More than 220 participants shot in the Chicago tournament and the Chicago Ronald McDonald House was again the beneficiary, to the tune of over $58,000
The rapid success of the Chicago area tournament inspired Mr. Lubeznik to share his knowledge of this fundraiser with Ronald McDonald Houses across the country. Because of the potential for growth of this program, Mr. Lubeznik formed the Ronald McDonald House National Sporting Clays Foundation. The Foundation’s goal was to promote shooting tournaments as a unique type of fundraising event for Ronald McDonald Houses across the nation. In 2002, Sporting Clays Tournaments were held in Orlando, Detroit, Columbus, GA, and in St. Louis, MO. Proceeds from each of the events benefited the Ronald McDonald Houses in their respective markets.
Also in 2002, the National Sporting Clays Association named the Ronald McDonald House National Sporting Clays Foundation their “Official Charity”. The National Skeet Shooting Association did the same in 2003, followed by the Amateur Trapshooting Association in 2004.
In 2005 the Foundation’s name was changed to the Kids & Clays® Foundation, benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities®. In 2007, the Foundation partnered with 15 Ronald McDonald House Shooting Sports Events and generated almost $1,000,000. In 2012, the $1,000,000 mark was broken when the combined net revenue from Kids & Clays sponsorships and Ronald McDonald House Sporting Clays events exceeded $1.1 million. That amount was eclipsed again in 2014 and 2015. In 2016, that amount grew to $1.5 million and to $1.7 million in 2017. In 2018, nearly $1.8 million was raised in total – all to help critically ill children and their families. That success was exceeded in 2019 as nearly $1.9 million net was raised. In 2020, even with the Covid pandemic raging across the U.S., $1.3 million net was raised from 20 participating RMHC Chapter events out of 27 scheduled – a noteworthy accomplishment. In 2021, events were expanded to 35 with $2.5 million net raised with 35 events again held in 2022 and a record $2.8 million was raised. 2023 saw 37 events held in 23 states, with a record $3.2 million raised.
In 2024, the funds generated through 47 Sporting Clays and other Events held in 23 states was a record $5.2 million which directly supported local RMHC Chapters. The total raised since our inception in 1999 is over $41 million. All for critically ill children and their families. Most importantly, participation in these events has raised awareness for Ronald McDonald House Charities® among thousands of shooters, while helping hundreds of thousands of families served by Ronald McDonald Houses each and every day.
Impact on the Shooting Industry
The Kids & Clays Foundation is unique in our partnership with the shooting industry. Together we introduce non-shooters to the fun of shooting sports participation and also to how much those sports contribute to wildlife conservation, the national economy and, in our case, to fundraising efforts for our charity of choice.
