Chicago Named First Back-to-Back Host of Prestigious McDonald's(R) All American High School Basketball Games

OAK BROOK, IL--(Marketwire - Jun 16, 2011) - McDonald's^® announced today that Chicago will become the first back-to-back host of the McDonald's All American High School Basketball Games when the event tips-off March 28, 2012 from Chicago's United Center. The 35th annual Boys Game will be broadcast live on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. CT, and the 11th annual Girls Game will air live on ESPNU at 6:00 p.m. CT. McDonald's agreement with the United Center will keep the event in Chicago through 2012 with an option for 2013.

"The combination of outstanding fan support and world-class venues in Chicago made the 2011 McDonald's All American Games the best ever," said Douglas Freeland, director of the McDonald's All American Games. "The standing-room-only crowd of 20,018 fans at the United Center made for a truly electric atmosphere, and we are very excited to bring the McDonald's All American Games back to Chicago in 2012 all while supporting a great charity."

In addition to setting an all-time event attendance record, the 2011 McDonald's All American Games in Chicago generated $625,000 in proceeds for Ronald McDonald House Charities^® of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana (RMHC^®-CNI). The proceeds will help build the nation's largest Ronald McDonald House^®, scheduled to open in Chicago in the summer of 2012.

"We are delighted and honored to have been chosen once again by McDonald's to play host to the most prestigious high school basketball event of the year," said Steve Schanwald, Senior Vice President of Marketing, United Center.

From early on, the McDonald's All American Games have been 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 2,000 nominees nationwide. Since 1978, 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. As part of celebrating the 35th anniversary of the event in 2012, McDonald's will announce the 35 greatest all-time McDonald's All Americans next year.

Famous McDonald's All American alumni include: Isiah Thomas (1979), Dominique Wilkens (1979), Doc Rivers (1980), Michael Jordan (1981), Shaquille O'Neal (1989), Kevin Garnett (1995), Kobe Bryant (1996), LeBron James (2003), Sylvia Fowles (2004), Dwight Howard (2004), Candace Parker (2004), Kevin Durant (2006), Blake Griffin (2007), Maya Moore (2007) and Derrick Rose (2007). In 2011, four Chicago-area players were named McDonald's All Americans, including Wayne Blackshear, Anthony Davis, Branden Dawson and Ariel Massengale.

Ticket information for the 2012 McDonald's All American Games will be available closer to 2012 and will be shared on www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com, @McDonalds and Facebook.com/McDonalds.

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 more than 12,000 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 Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana
The mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana (RMHC^®-CNI) is to improve the health, well-being and education of children through its core programs. Four Houses provide a "home away from home" to keep families together. To continue serving families in crisis, RMHC-CNI is building a new Ronald McDonald House -- the largest in the nation -- in Chicago. Due to open in 2012, the Ronald McDonald House near Lurie Children's will provide 14-stories of care and comfort, including 86 guest rooms. For more information, visit: www.RonaldHouseChicago.com.

© 2011 McDonald's