CEOs stay in Orange's Ronald McDonald House Charities Central West

And this week a handful of bosses from the Central West joined forces to support those families.

Run by the Ronald McDonald House Charities organisation, five of the region's business leaders took part in the 'CEO Walk In My Shoes' event.

These CEOs were:

An on-the-ground experience, the group stayed overnight in the Orange-based charity house from March 23 to 24.

They cooked meals for families staying in the house, leant an ear to those struggling, and immersed themselves in a world outside of usual business.

For Parkes-based CEO of Agricultural Equipment Holdings (AEH) 1 dealer group, diesel mechanic David Thompson said the 24-hour stay was a first-of-a-kind for him.

A farming family he went into business with back in 1986, Gary O'Brien threw his hat in the ring for the Walk In My Shoes event.

Mr Thompson said it's now "changed his perception" of what the charity is all about.

"Gary and Lou O'Brien had their baby Henry quite premature and their lives were turned upside down, it really pulled on the heartstrings," he said.

"But Gary put my name forward to come down to the house and it's just opened my eyes, especially around the perception that [RMHC] is for really, really sick children or that it's about a big corporate name.

"What it's really like here is that it's about supporting families with children across a whole range of medical needs, including those battling through mental health struggles."

Walking through the doors on Thursday, March 24, he said he felt an instant sense of warmth and welcome there.

A house where empathy-driven and "amazing" volunteers bolster the charity's work, they've created a space where families can commute long distances for appointments and not have to worry about accommodation, food or otherwise.

"To sit there and make dinner last night and talk [with family members] about the 'normal stuff' in life and have a laugh or listen to what they're going through, I'm definitely glad I made the effort to do this, very worth it," Mr Thompson said.

"You can't beat a home-cooked meal and the people here who support and are there for these families, they're incredible.

"So I think if we can spread the word about what this place is really, really about, then we can give this more momentum and hopefully see the support continue to grow."

Through their individual fundraising campaigns, the five CEOs have raked in donations exceeding $11,200 between them.

In a world regularly filled with busy schedules and "running around", the mechanic-by-trade said it's these kind of time-giving gigs that continue to play a more important role in his affairs.

"Good people built my business and I still enjoy going to work everyday, though I'm also finding I'm really enjoying getting involved with charity work," he said.

"And whether that's riding postie bikes 2000 kilometres to raise money or getting involved here [at RMCH Central West], it just feels good.

"You feel like you're really giving back and that's what it's becoming more and more about for me."

To donate to this year's 'CEO Walk In My Shoes' movement, head online to the website and type a CEOs name in the 'find a friend' search bar.

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