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McDonald's sending 100 kids to be in Rio 2016 Olympics Opening Ceremony

McDonald's is rewarding kids from around the world with the opportunity to be in the Opening Ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

March 21, 2016

McDonald's is rewarding kids from around the world with the opportunity to be in the Opening Ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. These ambassadors will be led by some of the world's all-time greatest Olympians and their children, according to a company press release.

The McDonald's Olympics Kids Program will celebrate the spirit of friendship. which is a key value of the Olympic Games, and include kids from around the world who embody the spirit of friendship. McDonald's Olympics Kids will be joined by a gold-medal panel of ambassadors, including U.S. Olympic gymnasts Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci and their 9-year old son, U.S. Olympic swimmer Dara Torres and her 9-year old daughter, and U.S. Olympic soccer player Julie Foudy and her 9-year old daughter and 8-year old son. Also, Olympians and their children from Australia, Brazil and Japan will participate in the program.

McDonald's has been sending kids to experience the Olympic Games since Beijing 2008. For Rio 2016, it will be the first time McDonald's is sending kids to participate in the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games, which will be seen by 80,000 spectators in Rio's Maracanã stadium and live by billions of television viewers worldwide.

Additionally, the McDonald's Olympics Kids Program will allow kids to experience athletic events and meet athletes. Nearly 100 kids aged 8 to 12 years old will be participating from 18 markets around the world, including: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Thailand, U.K., and U.S. Each country will conduct their own local promotion to select kids to represent their respective country.

Since 1996, McDonald's has been serving food to the media, athletes and their friends and family. The restaurant will be located in the International Zone of the Olympic Village. Breakfast will be served all day to celebrate the recent launch of All Day Breakfast in the U.S., and will include local Brazilian favorites like Pão de Queijo and the Egg, Cheese and Bacon sandwich

A McDonald's Brazil dessert center will be open for visitors to Olympic venues in the Barra Olympic Park. The dessert center will serve local flavored McFlurry desserts and more. There will be nearly 100 McDonald's restaurants in and around Rio.