OAK BROOK, IL--(Marketwired - Jun 22, 2015) - McDonald's announced today that the McDonald's All American Games will remain in Chicago in 2016. As part of the announcement, McDonald's and the United Center agreed to exercise an option to keep the Games at the venue next year, marking the sixth consecutive year the event will be held in the Windy City.
The 2016 McDonald's All American Games will tip-off on March 30, 2016. The 39th annual Boys Game will be broadcast live on ESPN at 8:00 p.m. CT, and the 15th annual Girls Game will air live on ESPNU at 5:30 p.m. CT. 2016 will mark the 19th consecutive year the Games will be broadcast on ESPN. A decision on the location of the 2017 Games and beyond will be made at a later date.
"With local stars like Anthony Davis, Jewell Loyd and Jahlil Okafor, Chicago has played host to the finest high school basketball seniors in the country over the past five years," said Douglas Freeland, director of the McDonald's All American Games. "We're excited to partner with the United Center again next year to bring this great event back to Chicago."
Since coming to the United Center in 2011, the McDonald's All American Games have experienced their highest five-year attendance in Games history. More than 80,000 fans have witnessed the Games in Chicago, packing the United Center to see basketball's rising stars while also benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). Since the Games inception, net proceeds from the Games have benefitted the Charity, raising more than $11 million for children and families in need.
Chicago (2011-2015): By the numbers
- 241 top Boys and Girls seniors in the country played at the United Center (2011-15)
- 34 future NBA & WNBA draft picks came through the Games in Chicago
- 25 NCAA All-Americans* donned McDonald's jerseys in Chicago
- 16,765 average fans in attendance at the United Center (2011-15)
- 20,019 fans sold-out the United Center in 2011, an all-time Games attendance record
- $2.6 million raised for RMHC through Games proceeds (2011-15)
"The McDonald's All American Games have brought thousands of fans to the United Center since 2011, further supporting Chicago as the premier U.S. destination for sporting events," said Kara Bachman, executive director, Chicago Sports Commission. "We're honored that our city and the United Center can continue its partnership with McDonald's and host the prestigious Games for the sixth straight year."
Since 1978, the McDonald's All American Games have showcased the best high school basketball talent in the country. Annually, 24 boys and 24 girls are selected from a pool of more than 800 nominees nationwide to participate in the Games. Since its inception, nearly 1,250 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 McDonald's All American alumni include: Earvin "Magic" Johnson (1977), Dominique Wilkens (1979), Michael Jordan (1981), Shaquille O'Neal (1989), Kevin Garnett (1995), Kobe Bryant (1996), Carmelo Anthony (2002), LeBron James (2003), Chris Paul (2003), Candace Parker (2004), Kevin Durant (2006), Maya Moore (2007), James Harden (2007), Derrick Rose (2007), Elena Delle Donne (2008), Skylar Diggins (2009) and Breanna Stewart (2011). Since 2011, 11 Chicago-area players were named McDonald's All Americans and played at the United Center, including Anthony Davis (2011), Jewell Loyd (2012), Jabari Parker (2013) and Jahlil Okafor (2014).
Ticket information for the 2016 McDonald's All American Games will be available in early 2016. For more information about the McDonald's All American Games, please visit www.mcdaag.com and follow us @McDAAG.
About McDonald's
McDonald's USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to approximately 27 million customers every day. Nearly 90 percent of McDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. Customers can now log online for free at approximately 11,500 participating Wi-Fi enabled McDonald's U.S. restaurants. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and Facebook www.facebook.com/mcdonalds.
About Ronald McDonald House Charities
Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), 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 300 Chapters in more than 62 countries and regions, its three core programs, the Ronald McDonald House, the Ronald McDonald Family Room and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, and millions of dollars in grants to support children's programs worldwide, RMHC provides stability and vital resources to families so they can get and keep their children healthy and happy. All RMHC-operated and supported programs, enable family-centered care, provide a bridge to quality health care, are a vital part of the health care continuum and give children and families the time they need to heal and cope better together.
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*Denotes First, Second and Third team, Associated Press All-American Team selections
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