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Columbus To Host 2010 McDonald's(R) All American High School Basketball Games

COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- McDonald's Corp. announced today thatColumbus, Ohio, will host the 2010 McDonald's All American High School Basketball Games March 31, 2010 at Value City Arena, home of The Ohio State University basketball teams.

The McDonald's All American Games are recognized as the premier showcase for the top high school basketball talent in the country. Annually, 24 boys and 24 girls are selected from a pool of more than 2,500 nominees nationwide. The players will not only become part of the long-standing tradition of the Games, but will also raise money for Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC(R)) ofCentral Ohio.

"It's a great honor to be hosting this game in our own backyard," said Shirley Rogers-Reece vice president and general manager, McDonald's Ohio Region. "This opportunity is a huge coup for not only McDonald's in centralOhio, but for the entire community. We can't wait to show off our great city by hosting the athletes, families and fans here."

The McDonald's All American Games tradition will continue with the following events planned for 2010:

    --  Team visit to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio: Every
        athlete who participates in the McDonald's All American Games
        visits the host city's local RMHC Chapter to experience first-hand
        how the Games impact the local community.
    --  POWERADE(R) Jam Fest: Slam dunk, skills and 3-point competitions--March
        29, 2010
    --  Fundraising Event for the Community: March 30, 2010
    --  The Boys and Girls All American Games: March 31, 2010

"We could not be more excited to have the Game here inColumbus," said Paul Thompson executive director of Ronald McDonald House Charities ofCentral Ohio. "This will provide us with even more opportunities to help families in and aroundOhio and show off our beautiful new House."

More information on ticket sales will be available in fall 2009.

2009 McDonald's All American Game

The 2009 McDonald's All American Games will be played Wed., April 1, 2009 at the Bank United Center inMiami, Fla. The Girls Game begins at 5:30 p.m. ET and airs live on ESPNU, and the Boys Game tips off at 8:00 p.m. ET and airs live on ESPN. For a complete list of players and more information on the McDonald's All American Games and RMHC, please visit: www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com or www.mcdepk.com/2008allamericangame/. You can also visit www.insidethegames.net to obtain news and analysis of the Games and other basketball topics of interest on a regular basis.

McDonald's All American Games Background

Since 1977, more than 850 players have competed in the McDonald's All American Games, forming an elite list that reads like a "Who's Who" in basketball history. McDonald's All American athletes include NBA greats Alonzo Mourning (retired), Magic Johnson (retired) and LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers), as well as WNBA star Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx) and Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks) and women's NCAA stars Tina Charles (Connecticut) and Maya Moore (Connecticut).

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. Its programs are grassroots-driven to enable the Charity to offer help where children need it most -- right in their own communities. For more information, visit www.rmhc.org.

AboutMcDonald's

McDonald'sUSA, LLC, is the leading foodservice provider inthe United States serving a variety of wholesome foods made from quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. More than 80 percent ofMcDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local franchisees. McDonald's in centralOhio has 125 restaurants in a 22-county area. For more information onMcDonald's visit www.mcdonalds.com.

(C) 2009 McDonald's

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