Brett O’Meara, owner of the local McDonald’s franchise here, will mark the restaurant chain’s 19th McHappy Day May 2 by donating $1 from every Big Mac sandwich, Happy Meal, and hot McCafé beverage sold to the Burntwood Regional Health Authority (BRHA) suicide prevention and youth at risk programs, says Kurtis Stolth , a community mental health worker with the BRHA.

In Thompson, McDonald’s will also be selling $1 “Happy feet” for the HOPE North, Burntwood Suicide Prevention Committee.

The committee is co-ordinated through the BRHA and has representation from the School District of Mystery Lake, Addictions Foundation of Manitoba; Canadian Mental Health Association; Thompson Boys & Girls Club; Frontier School Division; LABAN Fitness & Martial Arts Centre; MacDonald Youth Services; Marymound/Futures; Thompson Neighborhood Renewal Corporation; McDonalds Restaurant; MKO; Ma-Mow-We-Tak Friendship Centre, Probations Keewatin Tribal Council, NCN Wellness Centre and RCMP.

Since McHappy Day was first introduced in 1977, the national annual one-day fundraising event has raised nearly $35 million for Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC), the Ronald McDonald House program and local children’s charities across Canada, the company says.

First initiated in Canada, McHappy Day is now a worldwide event for McDonald’s restaurants globally in support of children in need in local communities.