Kevin Guest House Celebrates 40 Years | News

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- It's an important anniversary for those who have ever traveled to a strange city to get medical care for a loved one.

This is the 40th anniversary of Kevin Guest House.

A celebration was held at the home on Ellicott Street, which was purchased by the Garvey Family four decades ago as a "home-away-from-home" for those getting medical treatment here.

The Garvey's came to the Queen City in 1972 while their young son Kevin was being treated for Leukemia at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.  Kevin did not survive, but his legacy has thrived here.

"Buffalo provides this kind of help to people who by definition don't live in Buffalo, they're just welcoming strangers who need a home away from home and doing it out of the goodness of their hearts.  And that means so much to us whose own family went through this same difficulty 40 years ago," said John Garvey.

Kevin Guest House was the model for the Ronald McDonald Houses and then 160 other hospital hospitality houses around the country.