The House That Love Built Gala hosted by Ronald McDonald House of Western Washington and Alaska

The Event

Every fall, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Western Washington & Alaska brings its supporters together for The House That Love Built, the organization's largest fundraiser of the year. The gala funds the Seattle and Anchorage Ronald McDonald Houses, where families of seriously ill children get a place to stay, a hot meal, and a community around them for as long as treatment takes. The 38th annual gala, presented by The John L. Scott Foundation, took place October 17, 2026 at the Sheraton Grand Seattle under the theme “There's no place like home.” KIRO 7's Monique Ming Laven and Gary Horcer hosted the evening, which featured family stories, a curated live auction, Seahawks greats Jim Zorn and Steve Raible alongside current Seahawk AJ Barner, and the presentation of the Heart of the House Award to Alaska Airlines.

Client Objectives

RMHC wanted the evening to feel like the theme promised: like home. Lighting needed to wrap the ballroom in a warm, welcoming glow, so guests felt the comfort of a Ronald McDonald House the moment they walked in, and that warmth had to carry through the family stories, the auction, and the award presentation. Audio needed to make a clear, personal connection between the audience and the MCs, so that every guest felt like the MCs were speaking directly to them. And video had to be immersive and engaging with clear sightlines for everyone in the room to have a clear view of the content and speakers.

How Blue Danube Delivered

Blue Danube Productions ran the full audio, video, lighting program, and all facets of technical production management. A distributed sound system covered the entire room, so a quiet family story carried as well as the auctioneer at full volume. Large-format screens flanked the stage, carrying the family videos alongside live IMAG of the speakers, the award presentation, and the auction lots, with our team switching camera and playback feeds live as the evening advanced. Lighting followed the shape of the program: soft and home-like during the family stories, brighter and more charged for the live auction and the paddle raise, and celebratory for Alaska Airlines' Heart of the House moment, all called from the tech table alongside RMHC's event team.

Outcomes

The 2026 House That Love Built gala raised more than $1.5 million so families can have a home, meals, and support close to their child's care for as long as treatment lasts. The program ran flawlessly, from the family stories to the auction of AJ Barner's “My Cause, My Cleats” and a football signed by Barner, Raible, and Zorn. For Blue Danube, this night meant a great deal. We were proud to do the technical work behind RMHC's biggest night of the year and to help the family's story reach everyone in that room.