News

McDonald's sends young athletes to London Olympics

July 31, 2012

As part of its new Champions of Play program, McDonald's has sent young athletes from around the world to the 2012 London Olympic Games, where they will have the opportunity to participate in various activities, watch competitions and meet athletes.

The four youths from McDonald's Canada chosen to attend the Games are Owen Brown, 11, Pownal, PEI; Aedan Jan Osika, 12, Nelson, B.C.; Isaiah Clelland, 11, London, Ont.; and Alexis Dupuis, 15, St-Remi, Quebec.

"At McDonald's Canada, we believe in the importance of inspiring younger generations," said John Betts, president and CEO of McDonald's Canada. "The McDonald's Champions of Play program is a great example of the opportunities we provide to motivate young athletes to continue developing their athletic skills and live a balanced, active lifestyle."

Each of the McDonald's Canada Champions of Play were selected from the McDonald's AtoMc Hockey program and Equipe McDo program in Quebec – McDonald's Canada's minor hockey sponsorship program of Atom and Bantam level divisions respectively – and will be representing their local hockey team and McDonald's Canada at the Games.

Julie Foudy 'Choose to Matter' contest

Additionally, an all-expense-paid trip to London for the 2012 Olympic Games has also been awarded to winners of the The Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy "Choose to Matter Contest," which was held to empower young female athletes to choose to make a difference in their communities. The program was sponsored by McDonald's and The Century Council, and the winners and their parents will join Foudy, former captain and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team, at the Olympics from Aug. 9-12 to participate as Youth Ambassadors for McDonald's Champions of Play program.

"The 'Choose to Matter Contest' was an incredible opportunity to not only honor and celebrate the achievements of the four winners, but also recognize and applaud all of the remarkable young women who created and implemented community service projects," Foudy said.

The four girls, Jackie Schaefer (12, Jacksonville, Fla.), Gulafsha Kamrulhodda Ansari (16, Mumbai, India), Amanda Christianson (14, Plainfield, Ill.) and Moriah Wilson (14, Atlanta), individually worked on community projects. They included providing shoes to needy children in Haiti, gifts and encouraging messages to hospitalized kids, toys and high school-aged mentors to foster kids, and opportunities for girls to play organized sports in Mumbai, India.

Girls from the three Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academies, located in California, Illinois, and New Jersey, and partner organization, Girl Talk, were invited to create and implement community service leadership projects during 2011 and enter the projects in the "Choose to Matter Contest." During February 2012, more than 60,000 people visited the contest website and voted on their favorite projects to send the four young women to the Olympics.

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