Owner, Driver Bound by Charitable Organization

By SHAWN A. AKERS
Image Marketing

LOUDON, N.H. (May 11, 2000) - Indeed, it is a small world.

For months, Ed Rensi saw Andy Santerre as his driver - his employee with Team Rensi Motorsports. And for months, the owner of the No. 25 Lance Snacks Chevrolet never knew he had something in common with his Cherryfield, Me., driver - a common element that each holds near and dear to their heart. Rensi, the former Chief Executive Officer of McDonalds, Inc., helped to spearhead the creation of the Ronald McDonald House Charities - an organization that provides a "home-away-from-home" for the families of seriously ill patients receiving treatment at nearby hospitals - over 25 years ago.

As a young adult, Santerre took advantage of those facilities in Bangor, Me., when he received a "day pass" from the hospital - a place where he had spent over two months straight after being diagnosed with Guillian-Barre Syndrome, a virus that attacks the central nervous and muscular systems.

"I think going to the Ronald McDonald House that day definitely had a profound affect on my life," said Santerre, who, along with Kenny Wallace, shares the driving duties of the No. 25 Lance Chevrolet in the NASCAR Busch Series. "It's been a long time, so it's hard to remember all the little things that happened. But it was a big step to getting me on the comeback trail.

"It gave me something to look forward to. I got out of the hospital that one day, and I think it just made me work harder in the hospital in rehab to get back home."

The first Ronald McDonald House was created and opened in 1974 in Philadelphia. Fred Hill, a pro football player for the Philadelphia Eagles, had a daughter undergoing treatment for leukemia and rallied the support of his teammates along with the team general manager, Jim Murray; Dr. Audrey Evans from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; and local McDonald's franchisees to create Ronald McDonald House.

At the time, Rensi was the Vice President of the Philadelphia region for McDonald's, Inc. Rensi later took over the reigns as CEO of the company and held that position when Santerre was struck down with GBS.

"It seems we've (Rensi and Santerre) been traveling in the same circles for years and never knew it, and it's a pretty interesting thing," Rensi said. "You learn quite a bit just by talking to people and the topics that happen to come up.

"I honestly didn't know before that Andy was that sick, and I didn't know he had an experience at the Ronald McDonald House. It's pretty neat to realize something like that considering what the Ronald McDonald House has meant to me over the years."

In 1989, at the age of 19, Santerre was struck down with the illness that proved nearly fatal for him. He was paralyzed and in excruciating pain, not to mention the fact that his kidneys failed and his lungs collapsed, after which he developed pneumonia and a viral infection that left him battling for his life.

The first 32 days of his hospitalization were spent in the intensive care unit on a ventilator, and his family feared that Santerre might not survive. He did just that, and daily he began to get stronger and return to good health.

After more than a month or so, doctors agreed he was strong enough to leave the hospital briefly, but kept a close watch on him. His destination that day - the local Ronald McDonald House.

While he spent only a few hours at the Ronald McDonald House, Santerre said it was a huge boost for him on his way to recovery from the dreadful illness.

"For me, just getting out of the hospital environment aided immensely in my healing," said Santerre, the 1998 NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year. "I'd been in the hospital at that point for 65 to 70 days or so, and I really hadn't gotten to see anything else but the inside of a hospital. To get outside and take a ride down the road to the Ronald McDonald House and sit in a home that was more like my own home, it just gave me a wonderful feeling.

"It was one small step to getting me back to a normal life. The lady that actually ran the place was a friend of my family, actually my best friend's aunt. It was someone I knew, and it felt good to be around. I knew I was in pretty good hands."

It took over a year to recover completely from the virus, but Santerre won the battle and resumed a normal life once again. Not long after that, he began his career as a stock car driver, and went on to several successful years in the NASCAR Busch North Series before heading south to break into the NASCAR Busch Series.

After winning the rookie title two years ago, he faced another setback when he broke his leg in the 1999 season opener at Daytona. He couldn't drive for fourth months.

When he returned, Santerre was able to win his first Busch Series race - at Pikes Peak - but was let go by Innovative Motorsports soon after. Faced with yet another roadblock in his life, Santerre signed on with Team Rensi Motorsports to drive 10 races in the Lance Chevy in 2000, when he met Rensi for the first time.

It wasn't until recently that Rensi learned of the common thread between them.

This weekend, prior to the Busch 200 at New Hampshire International Speedway - Santerre will take part in an autograph session prior to the annual charity softball game put on by NHIS, which pits Busch North drivers against Busch Series drivers. Proceeds from the game will coincidentally go to the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

"I'm thrilled this event is associated with Ronald McDonald House," Santerre said. "My visit to the Ronald McDonald House really inspired me, and I hope it's able to help other people and their families and inspire them to overcome whatever obstacles are in front of them."