Chicago Selected to Host 2011 McDonald’s All American(R) High School Basketball Games

OAK BROOK, IL–(Marketwire – August 31, 2010) – McDonald’s® announced today that Chicago will play host to the 2011 McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Games, tipping off March 30, 2011 at the famed United Center. The Girls Game will broadcast live on ESPNU and the Boys Game will broadcast live on ESPN. Proceeds from the 34th annual Boys Game and 10th annual Girls Game will benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®). RMHC provides stability and resources to families, keeping children healthy and happy through such programs as the Ronald McDonald House® program.

“Our company and the McDonald’s All American Games share a deep history with the Chicagoland area,” said Tara Hayes, program manager and spokesperson for the McDonald’s All American Games. “Chicago is blessed with basketball talent and fans alike and we hope to repeat the success and enthusiasm that surrounded the 1982 McDonald’s Game in Chicago to benefit RMHC.”

In 1982, nearly 16,000 fans filled Rosemont Horizon near Chicago to see Kenny Walker score a team-high 20 points for the West in a 103-84 win over the East squad. Several future-NBA stars made their debut on the national stage at the 1982 McDonald’s All American Game, including: Benoit Benjamin, Dell Curry, Brad Daugherty, Johnny Dawkins, Billy Thompson and Wayman Tisdale. 

Today, the McDonald’s All American Games are recognized as the premier showcase for the top high school basketball talent in the country. The Games annually select 24 boys and 24 girls from a pool of more than 2,500 nominees nationwide. Since 1977, more than 1,000 players have competed in the McDonald’s All American Games, forming an elite list that includes some of the top names in basketball history.

Famous Chicago-based McDonald’s All American alumni include: Mark Aguire (1978), Isiah Thomas (1979), Doc Rivers (1980), Nick Anderson (1986), Juwan Howard (1991), Antoine Walker (1994), Kevin Garnett (1995), Quentin Richardson (1998), Candace Parker (2004, Naperville, Ill.), Sherron Collins (2006) and Derrick Rose (2007). 

Several Chicago-area standouts in the 2011 senior class are ranked highly in college recruiting circles and eligible to play in the 2011 Games. Prior to the 2010 Games, there were nine female prep standouts from Illinois nominated to play and 53 male prep athletes nominated.

The 2011 POWERADE® Jam Fest — that will include slam dunk, 3-point and skills competitions — will take place March 28, 2011 at Chicago State University’s Jones Convocation Center and will be broadcast live on ESPN2. Ticket information for the 2011 McDonald’s All American Games will be provided in November 2010 and a full list of nominees will be announced in December 2010.

For more information on the McDonald’s All American Games, visit www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com.

About McDonald’s
McDonald’s USA, LLC, is the leading foodservice provider in the United States serving a variety of wholesome food made from quality ingredients to more than 26 million customers every day. Nearly 90 percent of McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local business men and women. Customers can now log online for free at any of the 11,000 participating Wi-Fi enabled McDonald’s U.S. restaurants. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter (@McDonalds) and Facebook (Facebook.com/McDonalds) for updates on our business, promotions and products.

About RMHC
Ronald McDonald House Charities, a non-profit, 501 (c)(3) corporation, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. Through its global network of local Chapters in 52 countries and regions, its three core programs, the Ronald McDonald House^®, Ronald McDonald Family Room^® and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile^®, and millions of dollars in grants to support children’s programs worldwide, RMHC provides stability and resources to families so they can get and keep their children healthy and happy. All RMHC-supported programs provide a bridge to quality health care and give children and families the time they need together to heal faster and cope better. For more information, visit http://rmhc.org or follow us on Twitter (@RMHC) and Facebook (Facebook.com/RMHCGlobal).

© 2010 McDonald’s