McDonald's USA Rallies Communities to Nominate Exceptional Teens for Third Annual Community Choice Youth Award

Two honorees will receive a $10,000 scholarship and be honored during the 13th annual McDonald's 365Black Awards ceremony

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McDonald's USA

Apr 05, 2016, 08:00 ET

OAK BROOK, Ill., April 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Young people are positively impacting their communities every day. McDonald's USA recognizes some of these exceptional youth through its annual 365Black Community Choice Youth Award, returning for the third consecutive year. Starting today, consumers can visit www.365Black.com to nominate a teen who is making a difference within their community. One male and one female recipient will be awarded a $10,000 scholarship and will be honored alongside celebrities, philanthropists and influencers at the 13^th annual McDonald's 365Black Awards, taking place in New Orleans during the 22^nd annual ESSENCE Festival® presented by Coca-Cola®.

Visit www.365Black.com by May 31 to nominate an exceptional youth for the 2016 Community Choice Youth Awards. Two winners (one male, one female) will each be awarded a $10,000 Scholarship and will be honored alongside celebrities, philanthropists and influencers at the 13th annual McDonald's 365Black Awards, taking place in New Orleans during the 22nd annual ESSENCE Festival presented by Coca-Cola.

The McDonald's 365Black Community Choice Youth Award honors teens 13-18 who make a difference within their communities through vision, compassion and diligence that result in significant local, national or global impact. Nominators must complete an entry form, answer three questions about the nominee, and submit a three-minute video highlighting his or her contribution to the community. All entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. CDT on May 31, 2016.

"So many young leaders are making positive change in their communities. We at McDonald's are proud to bring our neighbors together in recognizing these excellent young people through the Community Choice Youth Awards," said William Rhodes, McDonald's U.S. marketing director. "We mean it when we say we are 'Deeply Rooted in Your Community' and we hope this recognition and appreciation of their work encourages our honorees to continue aiming high."

Last year's winners were Tori Turner and Aaron Johnson, 17 and 14 years old respectively. Turner is a philanthropist, motivational speaker, author and actress. She has raised over $16,000 through her non-profit Tori Turner's D.R.E.A.M. Big Foundation. Johnson is the author of two books, owner of a production company and volunteer speaker for the Trayvon Martin Foundation.

The Community Choice Youth Award is part of McDonald's 365Black Awards, which salutes outstanding individuals who are committed to making positive contributions that strengthen the African-American community. This year's partner is the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), a leading advocate for Historically Black Colleges & Universities, which will distribute the $10,000 scholarships to both honorees.

McDonald's 365Black Awards launched in 2003 as an extension of the company's 365Black platform, which celebrates the pride, heritage and achievements of African-Americans year-round. To learn more about the Community Choice Youth Award, please visit www.365Black.com and follow @365Black on Twitter, using the hashtag #365BlackAwards.

ABOUT MCDONALD'S USA
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 @365Black and Facebook www.facebook.com/mcdonalds. To learn more about the 365Black initiative, visit www.365Black.com.

ABOUT TMCF
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), established in 1987, is named for the U.S. Supreme Court's first African-American Justice. TMCF represents all Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and its member-schools include the 47 publicly-supported HBCUs. With TMCF member-schools educating 80% of all students attending HBCUs, TMCF helps students with a clear intention to succeed acquire a high-quality college education at an affordable cost. TMCF also efficiently connects high-performing, world-ready students with plum employment opportunities — access that students or employers might not have on their own. Through its scholarships and programs, TMCF plays a key role in preparing the leaders of tomorrow. For more information on TMCF, visit www.tmcf.org.

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SOURCE McDonald's USA