PJW Restaurant Group presented a check this week for $124,064 during the 14-hour live “Change the Luck of a Child” telethon to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of the Philadelphia Region, Inc. The telethon was hosted by CBS3 and CW Philly and raised a record total of $1.2 million.

Since 2012, the group has raised more than $600,000, with patrons at all P.J. Whelihan’s and Pour House locations donating during a month-long campaign by purchasing shamrocks that decorate the walls of the restaurants. For the third year in a row, P.J. Whelihan’s Bethlehem collected the largest amount of donations, followed by the Maple Shade and Blue Bell locations. One Blue Bell P.J. Whelihan’s staffer individually raised $3,650 through shamrock sales and joined the Bethlehem and Blue Bell managers to present the check on live TV. Tito’s Vodka contributed an additional $10,000 to the fund. Photo from the check presentation, caption below*.

“Giving back to the community is part of PJW’s fundamental mission, instilled by our founder Bob Platzer 35 years ago,” says PJW Restaurant Group CEO Jim Fris. “Our restaurants and their employees are always looking for ways to support our customers and neighbors. It’s heartwarming to see the customers come out in large forces every year to help RMHC.”

Locally, RMHC supports many programs that benefit the health and well-being of children at four Ronald McDonald Houses. Their mission is to keep families close while their children are receiving critical care and treatment at nearby hospitals.