McDonald’s will launch its newest Olympic Games program, McDonald’s Champion Kids, on Aug. 9, 2007 in Beijing.
The program will enable up to 300 kids from around the world to travel to the 2008 Olympic Games to share their stories and experiences with their local communities and hometown news outlets. Through this once-in-a-lifetime journey, the children will have the chance to see the Games, meet Olympic athletes, visit cultural sights, and interact with kids from across the globe.
Six-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps will serve as McDonald’s global ambassador for the program. Joining Phelps to kick-off the program at a special media event August 9 in Beijing will be International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge, Executive Vice President of the Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG) Mr. Wang Wei, Republic of China Olympic gold medalist and McDonald’s Champion Kids Ambassador in China Guo Jingjing, and other local dignitaries.
In addition to the McDonald’s Champion Kids program, the company will activate its most comprehensive Olympic Games plan to date, which includes:
· Feeding the World’s Athletes—For the seventh consecutive Games, McDonald’s will be the Official Restaurant of the Olympic Games. The company is planning to build four restaurants in Beijing.One restaurant will be in the Athlete’s Village, where McDonald’s will be the only branded restaurant to feed the athletes, giving them a taste of home while in China. The three other McDonald’s restaurants will serve spectators, officials and coaches, as well as the 20,000 media expected on site.
· McDonald’s Olympic Champion Crew— McDonald’s will host 1,200 restaurant crew members from China and around the world during the Games.
· Giving Back—As part of McDonald’s Olympic Games tradition to give back to the host city, the company will make a lasting contribution to the host city of Beijing through Ronald McDonald House Charities®.
· Bringing the Games to Life—McDonald’s restaurants around the world will bring the excitement of the Games to life for their customers in a variety of local promotions and activities.
