Lifestyle & Entertainment
15 November, 2025
Gearing up for McHappy car show
AN exciting display featuring impressive automobiles owned by local car enthusiasts will be the highlight of McHappy Day today for McDonalds Stawell. The Maccas team has planned an event dubbed ‘Cars & Coffee’ for the public to enjoy as part of their fundraising for the annual nationwide charity fundraising day and will be held at the vacant block diagonally across the road from McDonald’s at the corner of Longfield and Seaby Streets from 11am to 3pm.
The event is a competition, with each participant with a car on display having a bucket to collect donations from the public and there are prizes on offer for the cars that attract the most donations.
McDonald’s Stawell manager Rhiannon Stanhope said her whole crew is excited about what is going to be a busy day at the office.
“This year we’re doing a Show ‘n’ Shine car show and we’re all gonna dress up,” Ms Stanhope said.
“Middy’s has donated the block for us to use for the day across the road we’ve got a massive car scene here in Stawell.”
She said that a Show ‘n’ Shine seemed like a natural fit with many Maccas crew members having a s keen interest in cars.
“A lot of the boys here, and some of the girls too, are very much into cars, and are pretty close with the Forsaken Society which is one of the car clubs around here.”
Ms Stanhope said a few temporary operational matters had made McDonald’s Stawell a little quieter than usual with its lead-up fundraising efforts for McHappy Day, and that traditionally it was something the local community gets behind because they appreciate the work of Ronald McDonald House Charities.
A Ronald McDonald House is a home away from home that provides accommodation for families with seriously ill or injured children who need to travel for medical treatment.
These houses, run by Ronald McDonald House Charities offer a supportive and comfortable environment close to hospitals, allowing families to stay together while a child receives care.
During McHappy Day, customers can contribute several different ways, including by purchasing this year’s limited-edition Silly Socks featuring classic McDonaldland characters Grimace and Hamburglar, or one of the super popular Bucket Hats.
Customers can also purchase a Helping Hand for $2, $10 or $50, and if you sink your teeth into the venerable Big Mac on McHappy Day, $2 from every Big Mac sold goes directly to RMHC.
Ms Stanhope is passionate about fundraising to support RMHC, marvelling at the service it provides for families when they’re dealing with such difficult circumstances.
“McHappy Day is a day that Maccas puts on, actually McHappy Time now all month, not just McHappy Day, where we donate proceeds to the Ronald McDonald House charity,” she said.
“It’s an amazing charity, my family have personally used it way before I was born, it’s to support families of in need of accommodation near hospitals and some respite, especially when you’re from a rural town, it’s having somewhere that’s comfortable and clean and guaranteed to be safe to go spend the time while your kid is in hospital.
“It's got to be one of the hardest times in a person’s life, it would be so difficult having a very sick child in hospital.”
Ms Stanhope said the prizes for tomorrow’s Cars and Coffee event have been generously donated by local businesses, including Stawell Auto Electrical, Stawell Tyre Power, Davo’s Restorations and Stawell Autopro.
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