McHappy Day is the largest annual fundraising event for Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), an independent charity that creates, finds and supports programs across Australia that help seriously ill children and their families.

Wetherill Park McDonald's raised $4500 and Fairfield McDonald's raised $2000.

The restaurants made their own shirts and had themed party rooms with fairies and Christmas.

Local bands, Police Commodore Car Club and Harley Davidson bikies also visited the restaurant to support McHappy Day.

“$1.9 million is a record result for McHappy Day and further highlights the generosity and spirit of our community,” said McDonald’s Australia CEO Peter Bush. “We are thankful to everyone from volunteers, celebrities, generous donors and customers, notable members of the community and the wonderful McDonald’s crew and franchisees who have helped us raise this incredible amount.”

On McHappy Day, $1 from every Big Mac, $2 from every McCafé Byron Bay Cookie House box, 10 cents from every ‘Might Me, Might Us’ Happy Meal and profits from every $2 wristband sold went directly to RMHC. Further contributions were made by the community via donation buckets in the restaurants, online donations at www.mchappyday.com.au as well as donations collected by Scouts Australia across the country.

Money raised on McHappy Day has gone towards RMHC programs such as building and maintaining 13 Ronald McDonald Houses across the country (with a 14th on the way in Orange) which provide a home-away-from-home for the families of seriously ill children being treated at nearby hospitals; the establishment of the Ronald McDonald Learning Program which provides free tuition for children who have missed lengthy periods of schooling due to serious illness; the RMHC Cord Blood Bank program, which provides life-saving cord blood used mainly to treat childhood cancers; and the establishment of five Ronald McDonald Family Retreats.