McDonald’s Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games
As a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Movement, McDonald’s is preparing to once again feed the athletes and share the excitement of the Games with millions of customers around the world during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada.
Feeding the World’s Best Athletes
– As the Official Restaurant of the Olympic Games and the only branded foodservice retailer, McDonald’s is building three new Olympic venue restaurants: one in the Olympic Village in Vancouver, one in the Olympic Village in Whistler, and one in the Main Media Center in Vancouver.
– McDonald’s Olympic Champion Crew, made up of more than 300 top performing restaurant employees from across Canada, will serve menu favorites to the world’s best athletes, coaches, officials and media at McDonald’s on-site Olympic venue restaurants.
– Spectators will be able to share in the Olympic Spirit and enjoy McDonald’s quality and variety at any of the more than 40 McDonald’s restaurants located in the Vancouver and Whistler areas.
McDonald’s Champion Kids(TM)
– The McDonald’s Champion Kids program debuted at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games as part of McDonald’s ongoing commitment to children. The program provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for kids from across the globe to experience the Games first hand.
– For the Vancouver Games, one child from each province and one child from the territories in Canada will join kids from around the world to attend Olympic events, meet athletes, visit the Olympic Village, tour the cultural sites of Vancouver and Whistler, and receive their own gold medals from Olympic champions.
– The children will also have the chance to serve as special youth correspondents to share their experiences with their hometown news outlets.
Giving Back
– As part of McDonald’s Olympic tradition of giving back to the host country, Ronald McDonald House Charities® will make a lasting contribution to Vancouver that will live beyond the Games.
– Ronald McDonald House Charities of Canada, in cooperation with The Province of British Colombia, the Rick Hansen Foundation and 2010 Legacies Now, is funding three world-class accessible playgrounds.
– These playgrounds – located in the three venue cities of Vancouver, Richmond and Whistler – will meet the needs of children with disabilities and enable these children to play side by side with their siblings, families and friends.
– The Richmond playground and the majority of the Whistler playground are planned to be completed in time for the 2010 Games; the Vancouver playground will be finished in the summer of 2010. More information to come on playground celebrations that will take place during the Games.
Environment
– In keeping with a green Olympic Games, McDonald’s three new Olympic venue restaurants will be fitted with energy-efficient lighting and equipment.
– The equipment from these restaurants will be reused and recycled at McDonald’s restaurants in Canada after the Games have ended
McDonald’s Canada
– As host country, McDonald’s Canada is activating a wide variety of programs and promotions leading up to and during the Games to celebrate Canada’s Olympic Spirit nationwide.
Activities include:
– Flying Olympic flags at select McDonald’s restaurants across Canada to celebrate their role as host country
– Exciting restaurant promotions such as Olympic-themed McDonald’s Vancouver 2010 Olympic Sport Water Bottles featuring graphics of athletes participating in popular winter sports
– Alliances with top Canadian athletes such as speed skater Cindy Klassen, figure skater Patrick Chan and Cassie Campbell, former caption of the Canadian Women’s Ice Hockey Team
– Celebrating the importance of family and community on the journey to the pinnacle of sport through McDonald’s 2010 Hopefuls, a grant program that supports the Olympic aspirations of 26 Canadian athletes and recognizes the efforts of their parents by allocating a portion of the funding to the family
– Canada holds a special place in McDonald’s history as the first country outside of the U.S. to open a McDonald’s restaurant in 1967.
McDonald’s Olympic Games History
McDonald’s became an Official Sponsor of the Olympic Games in 1976 and has a long-standing commitment to the Olympic Movement, which first began more than 40 years ago. At the 1968 Olympic Winter Games, McDonald’s airlifted hamburgers to U.S. athletes competing in Grenoble, France, after they reported being homesick for McDonald’s food. Since then, the company has served its menu of choice and variety to millions of athletes, coaches, their families and fans. The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games mark McDonald’s seventh Olympic Games as a Worldwide Partner and eighth as the Official Restaurant of the Olympic Games. McDonald’s current sponsorship will continue through the 2012 Games in London.
Source: McDonald’s
Legendary Prep Basketball Coach Morgan Wootten Announces McDonald’s All American Players of the Year
Derrick Favors and Kelsey Bone Join Elite List of Morgan Wootten’s National High School Basketball Players of the Year Award Winners
Derrick Favors, the 6’9″, 235 lb. prep superstar from South Atlanta High School in Atlanta, Ga., was named the thirteenth-annual Morgan Wootten Award winner today. Previous winners include Greg Oden (2006), Dwight Howard (2004), LeBron James (2003), Jason Williams (1999) and the Award’s first recipient Shane Battier (1997).
Joining Favors in the honor is McDonald’s All American(R) Female Player of the Year, Kelsey Bone, from John Foster Dulles High School in Stafford, Texas. Bone is the eighth female to be added to the impressive list that includes Tina Charles (2006), Abby Waner (2005), Candace Parker (2004) and Ivory Latta (2003).
The Morgan Wootten Award is given to the McDonald’s All American players who exemplify outstanding character, exhibit leadership and embody the values of being a student-athlete in both schoolwork and community service activities. McDonald’s(R) established the Award in Wootten’s name to pay tribute to his unprecedented achievements as a teacher and a coach. The official presentation will take place at the McDonald’s All American Games awards banquet on March 31 in Miami, Fla.
Described as a pure athlete, Favors is also an honor roll student at South Atlanta High School. When he’s not playing basketball, he spends his time reading and participating in the chess club and Kappa League Mentoring Program. On the court, Favors is the No. 1 ranked high school prospect in the class of 2009, according to Scout.com.
“It’s a big honor and privilege to be named the McDonald’s All American Game(R) Player of the Year,” Favors said. “I’m really looking forward to the Game and plan to just go out there, play hard and try to live up to the hype.”
Bone is considered one of the most well-rounded student athletes on the 2009 McDonald’s All American Team. In addition to her basketball achievements, which include winning the gold medal in 2008 as a member of the under-18 USA Basketball Team, Bone is also committed to excellence off the court. Her school-related activities include theatre arts and serving as a fifth grade mentor at a nearby elementary school. Bone is fluent in American Sign Language and also writes a basketball blog for the Houston Chronicle.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by Coach Wootten and the McDonald’s All American Games for all of my hard work on the court,” said Bone. “It means a lot to be named to the McDonald’s All American Team and even more to be selected as the McDonald’s All American Game Player of the Year.”
Favors and Bone are two of only 48 high school seniors selected to play in the 32nd annual McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Games, which takes place at the BankUnited Center in Miami, Fla. on Wednesday, April 1. The Boys Game begins at 8:00 p.m. (ET) and airs live on ESPN. The Girls Game precedes the Boys’ at 5:30 p.m. (ET) and will air live on ESPNU.
Favors and Bone will head to top ranked universities after graduation. Favors has committed to Georgia Tech and Bone is deciding between Texas A&M, South Carolina, Texas and Illinois.
The McDonald’s All American Games are about more than just basketball. Each year, proceeds raised from the Games benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities(R) (RMHC(R)) and their local Chapters across the country. Proceeds from the 2009 Games will go to RMHC of South Florida. To date, the McDonald’s All American Games have raised millions of dollars for RMHC and its local Chapters.
For more information on the McDonald’s All American Games, please visit: www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com, www.insidethegames.net, or www.mcdepk.com/2009allamericangames/.
Coach Wootten
During Wootten’s 43-year career as head basketball coach at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md., he earned a reputation for being an excellent basketball coach and mentor. During his tenure, DeMatha had five national high school championship titles and 33 conference championships.
Now retired, Wootten was the first basketball coach, at any level, to reach 1,200 wins. He is the author of numerous books and is a famed basketball speaker. Coach Wootten has served as head of the selection committee for the McDonald’s All American Games since its inception in 1977.
Source: McDonald’s
Columbus To Host 2010 McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Games
Nation’s Top-Rated High School Basketball Players Will Compete in Columbus to Raise Money for Ronald McDonald House Charities(R) and its Local Chapters
McDonald’s Corp. announced that Columbus, Ohio, will host the 2010 McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Games March 31, 2010 at Value City Arena, home of The Ohio State University basketball teams.
The McDonald’s All American Games are recognized as the premier showcase for the top high school basketball talent in the country. Annually, 24 boys and 24 girls are selected from a pool of more than 2,500 nominees nationwide. The players will not only become part of the long-standing tradition of the Games, but will also raise money for Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC(R)) of Central Ohio.
“It’s a great honor to be hosting this game in our own backyard,” said Shirley Rogers-Reece vice president and general manager, McDonald’s Ohio Region. “This opportunity is a huge coup for not only McDonald’s in central Ohio, but for the entire community. We can’t wait to show off our great city by hosting the athletes, families and fans here.”
The McDonald’s All American Games tradition will continue with the following events planned for 2010:
- Team visit to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio: Every athlete who participates in the McDonald’s All American Games visits the host city’s local RMHC Chapter to experience first-hand how the Games impact the local community.
- POWERADE(R) Jam Fest: Slam dunk, skills and 3-point competitions–March 29, 2010
- Fundraising Event for the Community: March 30, 2010
- The Boys and Girls All American Games: March 31, 2010
“We could not be more excited to have the Game here in Columbus,” said Paul Thompson executive director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio. “This will provide us with even more opportunities to help families in and around Ohio and show off our beautiful new House.”
More information on ticket sales will be available in fall 2009.
2009 McDonald’s All American Game
The 2009 McDonald’s All American Games will be played Wed., April 1, 2009 at the Bank United Center in Miami, Fla. The Girls Game begins at 5:30 p.m. ET and airs live on ESPNU, and the Boys Game tips off at 8:00 p.m. ET and airs live on ESPN. For a complete list of players and more information on the McDonald’s All American Games and RMHC, please visit: www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com or www.mcdepk.com/2008allamericangame/. You can also visit www.insidethegames.net to obtain news and analysis of the Games and other basketball topics of interest on a regular basis.
McDonald’s All American Games Background
Since 1977, more than 850 players have competed in the McDonald’s All American Games, forming an elite list that reads like a “Who’s Who” in basketball history. McDonald’s All American athletes include NBA greats Alonzo Mourning (retired), Magic Johnson (retired) and LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers), as well as WNBA star Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx) and Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks) and women’s NCAA stars Tina Charles (Connecticut) and Maya Moore (Connecticut).
Source: McDonald’s Corp.