The Indianapolis event, McDonald's Great Lakes All-American Crew Competition, was the first of dozens of major competitions taking place throughout the U.S. and around the world. From the 1.3 million McDonald's crew worldwide, only 400 will receive the honor of McDonald's "Crew Olympians'' and a trip to Salt Lake City.
"We are extremely proud of the top-performing crew members who participated in this year's All-American Crew Competition and who give the brightest smiles and the best service to our customers everyday,'' said Kevin Dunn, a former All-American Crew and president of McDonald's Great Lakes Division, the McDonald's U.S.A. division that hosted the weekend's competition in Indianapolis. ``The real contest is very rarely about winning. It's about competing to bring out the best in yourself. Our All-American Crew can be proud to say they are truly the best at what they do.''
Among those cheering on the All-American Crew was five-time Olympic gold medallist and champion speed skater, Bonnie Blair. "As a former Olympic athlete, I know how hard you must prepare to become the best at what you do, whether it is in speed skating or in speedily serving customers,'' said Blair. "You now know what it's like to be an Olympian; there is nothing like it.''
The Columbus Region All-American Crew Team won a four-day/three-night trip for two to Disney World. All participants were awarded McDonald's stock and other prizes.
The road to McDonald's All-American Crew Competition and the Olympic Crew team was a long one. McDonald's crew members worked their way through store, local and regional competitions to qualify for this year's event.
"The All-American program involves diligent training to achieve McDonald's highest standards for quality, service and cleanliness, and to give our customers the best restaurant experience possible,'' Dunn added.
Crew, swing managers and maintenance staff were judged on speed, accuracy, service and teamwork using detailed judging criteria, developed by McDonald's Hamburger University®. The judging standards reflect the exacting operational and service excellence, including gold medal smiles, expected at all McDonald's restaurants.
As the official restaurant of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, McDonald's will feed the thousands of athletes, coaches, officials and spectators who come from around the world to be a part of the Olympic experience in Salt Lake City. Starting with a hamburger airlift to U.S. athletes competing in the 1968 Grenoble, France Olympics, and sponsorship of the Olympic Swim Stadium for the Los Angeles games in 1984, McDonald's now proudly celebrates its third Olympic Games as a TOP global sponsor, the highest level of Olympic sponsorship.
