McDonald's USA Gives Southern California Kid Chance To Join Soccer Heroes On FIFA World Cup™ Field

LOS ANGELES, March 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- McDonald's is giving young soccer enthusiasts in Southern California the opportunity to secure a $1,000 grant for a Southern California soccer organization of their choice, and travel to Brazil this summer to meet one of their soccer heroes competing for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ title.

Starting today, McDonald's Player Escort sweepstakes gives 25 children, ages 6 to 10, from across the country the chance to travel to Brazil and walk hand-in-hand with some of the world's best soccer players as they take the field for a 2014 FIFA World Cup™ match. One lucky winner, along with their parent or guardian, will represent Southern California and embark on a five-day, four-night trip to Brazil, with the first stop in Rio de Janeiro. The 25 McDonald's Player Escorts will lead players onto the field in one of four match cities – Rio de Janeiro, Natal, Manaus or Recife.  Parents or guardians in Southern California can visit www.McdOneGoal.com between now and April 6 to enter the sweepstakes.

"With almost a third of US households having a soccer player, it's clear how much kids love soccer – and Southern California is no exception," said Clay Paschen, III, McDonald's owner/operator and president of the McDonald's Operators' Association of Southern California (MOASC). "Our Player Escort program gives one Southern California child the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience soccer's greatest event on the field with the players."

Globally, McDonald's will send 1,408 children to Brazil to serve as Player Escorts and support their country's players during the month-long competition, which starts June 12 and culminates with the championship match on July 13. During their time in Brazil, Player Escorts and their parent or guardian will experience the thrilling atmosphere of the FIFA World Cup™ and the lively surrounding culture. 

McDonald's Player Escort program began in 2002 at the FIFA World Cup™ in South Korea/Japan. Since that time, McDonald's has given more than 6,000 children from around the world the chance to lead a player into the stadium. Additionally, McDonald's has been a supporter of soccer at both the global and grassroots levels for more than 25 years. The company has served as an Official Sponsor and the Official Restaurant of the FIFA World Cup™ since the United States Tournament in 1994, continuing for each FIFA World Cup™ through to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™.

About McDonald's of Southern California
MOASC is comprised of more than 600 franchised and company-owned McDonald's restaurants in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. Learn more at mcdonaldssocal.com and follow us on Twitter: @McDonalds_SoCal

About McDonald's
McDonald's USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with 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 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 and Facebook for updates on our business, promotions and products.

About U.S. Soccer
Founded in 1913, U.S. Soccer is the non-for-profit, governing body of soccer in the United States and has helped chart the course for the game for more than 100 years. During this time, the Federation's mission statement has been clear and simple: to make soccer, in all its forms, a pre-eminent sport in the United States and to continue the development of soccer at all recreational and competitive levels. To that end, the sport's development and growth in the United States during the past 25 years has been nothing short of remarkable as U.S. Soccer's National Teams have continually succeeded on the world stage and, with the assistance of its members, the fan support and participation in the game continues to reach new heights. For more information, visit www.ussoccer.com.

McDonald's and Player Escort are registered trademarks of McDonald's Corporation and its affiliates.

Jaime Botello
Porter Novelli
(310) 444-7020
[email protected]

Online Newsroom:
http://news.mcdonalds.com/US

SOURCE McDonald's of Southern California