09/24/2026
Tempur Sealy Community Invests $1.36 Million in Ronald McDonald House Lexington's Just Imagine Campaign
$750,000 Foundation commitment joins personal gifts from company leaders and employees to help build a new Ronald McDonald House
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 24, 2026) – A relationship built over years of volunteering, giving, and showing up for families is becoming part of the foundation for Ronald McDonald House Lexington's future.
The Tempur Sealy Foundation has committed $750,000 to the organization's $37 million Just Imagine capital campaign. Together with personal gifts from Tempur Sealy leaders and employees, the Tempur Sealy community's total investment in the campaign has reached $1.36 million.
The gift will help build a new Ronald McDonald House designed to dramatically increase the number of families who can stay close when a child needs medical care.
But the relationship between Tempur Sealy and Ronald McDonald House Lexington has never been measured solely in dollars.
Over the years, Tempur Sealy employees have volunteered their time, collected Wish List items, supported fundraising events, provided resources for families, and continually found new ways to help. What began as corporate support has grown into something much deeper, a company and its people making care for Ronald McDonald House families part of their culture.
“Tempur Sealy was beside us long before we were talking publicly about building a new House,” said Nate Graham, CEO of Ronald McDonald House Lexington. “They have written checks, absolutely, but they have also rolled up their sleeves. Their employees volunteer. They collect the things our families need. They show up at our events. They ask how they can help. And now, their leaders and employees are personally investing alongside the Foundation in our future. This is what true partnership looks like.”
That relationship reflects a shared belief between two Lexington-based organizations: families deserve to be surrounded by care when they need it most.
“Lexington is home to Tempur Sealy and investing in the well-being of the families who come to our community for care is deeply important to us,” said Cliff Buster, CEO of Tempur Sealy International. “Ronald McDonald House Lexington provides something invaluable during an uncertain time: the ability for loved ones to stay close when it matters most. Supporting children and caregivers reflects our values of We Care About Each Other and We Do the Right Thing, and we are proud to support the Just Imagine campaign. We are equally proud of our employees, whose generosity through volunteerism, donations and personal involvement has strengthened this partnership for years and reflects the kind of company, employer and neighbor we strive to be.”
For Ronald McDonald House Lexington, that collective generosity represents exactly the kind of community ownership the campaign hopes to inspire.
“This isn't transactional philanthropy,” Graham said. “Tempur Sealy doesn't simply ask, ‘What do you need us to fund?’ Their people ask, ‘How can we help?’ There is an enormous difference between the two. They have become part of our Ronald McDonald House family, and this investment is an extraordinary continuation of a relationship that has already meant so much to the families we serve.”
The investment comes at a pivotal time for Ronald McDonald House Lexington.
The current House has just 21 guest rooms and regularly operates at capacity, leaving families without a room when demand exceeds available space. Plans for the new House call for approximately 65 rooms initially, with the ability to grow to approximately 85, creating capacity to serve significantly more children and families from across Kentucky.
As pediatric healthcare in Lexington has expanded, so too has the number of families traveling to the region for specialized care. Families served by Ronald McDonald House Lexington travel an average of approximately 100 miles to reach Lexington.
Behind every one of those miles is a family trying to stay close to a child who needs them.
Just Imagine is about making sure there is room for them when they arrive.
“Years from now, when families walk through the doors of the new Ronald McDonald House, they may never know every person who helped make that House possible,”
Graham said. “But Tempur Sealy employees will be among them. Through every volunteer hour, every Wish List collection, every event supported and every gift made, they have helped build toward this moment. That is a legacy we are incredibly proud to celebrate.”
The Just Imagine campaign has now raised $13 million toward its $37 million goal. The campaign will support construction of a new Ronald McDonald House designed to meet both the immediate and future needs of families traveling to Lexington for pediatric medical care.
For Tempur Sealy and Ronald McDonald House Lexington, the campaign represents an exciting new chapter in a relationship already built through years of generosity, service, and a shared commitment to families.
About Ronald McDonald House Lexington
For more than 40 years, Ronald McDonald House Lexington has removed barriers, strengthened families, and promoted healing when children need healthcare. Through the Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald House Family Room at Golisano Children’s Hospital, Care Carts, and Care Mobile programs, the organization provides lodging, meals, and essential wraparound support to children and families throughout Kentucky.
About the Tempur Sealy Foundation
The Tempur Sealy Foundation is committed to improving the health and wellness of communities through charitable giving initiatives aligned with Tempur Sealy's Corporate Social Values. Recognizing that healthy children and families are the bedrock of healthy communities, the Foundation invests in high-impact healthcare, social service, and educational organizations that make a positive difference in the lives of those most in need.
# # # #
