Shelby family continues to give back to Ronald McDonald House Charities

SHELBY — The Columbus Ronald McDonald House is open 365 days a year.

Although a small donation is requested from its guests, no family is ever turned away.

Plymouth graduate Lexi Surgener and her fiancé, Logan Allenbaugh, are familiar with the Ronald McDonald House. The couple spent 118 days there while their son, Houston, was in the NICU.

On Aug. 19, 2023, Surgener and Allenbaugh welcomed Houston into the world — born at just 27 weeks and four days. He weighed one pound and 14.7 ounces, while measuring 13 inches long.

Due to his premature birth, Houston was kept in the NICU at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center in Columbus for 50 days. He was then transferred to the NICU at Nationwide Children’s Hospital for an additional 75 days.

“The Ronald McDonald House was a home away from home,” Surgener said during an interview with Richland Source in June 2024. “I can’t tell people how much Ronald McDonald House means to us as a family.”

After her family’s stay, Surgener and her family began collecting pop tabs to support the cause, often connecting with donors through social media.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio is able to recycle tabs in exchange for money — which is then put towards paying utility bills for the House.

On Sunday, Surgener organized a cleaning supplies drive to collect essentials for the House. The event took place at the YMCA of North Central Ohio – Shelby branch from 1:30 to 4 p.m.

**Volunteers at Saturday’s cleaning supplies drive load a trailer with donations at the YMCA of North Central Ohio – Shelby branch.** *Credit: Hayden Gray*

Supplies brought from around the state

After only 30 minutes, the trailer being used to house donated supplies was filling up.

Suggested items to be donated included brooms and dust pans, paper towels, laundry baskets and detergent, trash bags, dish soap, cleaning wipes and dryer sheets, among others. People also brought pop tabs, knowing Surgener actively collects them.

“It’s phenomenal,” she said Sunday. “It’s truly amazing.”

**Donations collected Sunday will be taken to the Columbus Ronald McDonald House.** *Credit: Hayden Gray*

With a lemonade and coffee trailer and a snow cone trailer on site, folks from around the state began to show up with donations. Several of Surgener’s friends, from Athens and Medina, also surprised her by showing up to help organize donations.

Along with one of Surgener’s friends, several other NICU families, including one from Ashland, came to support the event and drop off supplies.

“It’s just amazing how many NICU families are coming,” Surgener said.

The event doubled as a celebration for Houston’s second birthday, which is upcoming in August.

After the event concluded, Surgener planned to clean up and proceed to Columbus to drop off all of the donations to the House.

Click the link below to learn more about Surgener and her family’s story.