McDonald's(R) Honors Southland Hispanic Community Through Eighth Consecutive Fiesta Broadway Sponsorship

McDonald's(R) Honors Southland Hispanic Community Through Eighth Consecutive Fiesta Broadway Sponsorship

LOS ANGELES, April 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrating its sixth anniversary as the title sponsor of the largest Cinco de Mayo festival in the United States, Southland McDonald's(R) restaurants will once again honor the area's Hispanic community at McDonald's Fiesta Broadway scheduled to take place in Downtown Los Angeles on May 1. The McDonald's Operators' Association of Southern California has sponsored Fiesta Broadway for eight consecutive years.

On McDonald's Fiesta Broadway's main music stage, the company will honor Mexican film and recording legend Antonio Aguilar and host free premium musical performances of major Latin recording artists including La Ley and amateur youth mariachi and ballet folklorico dance group winners of McDonald's McMariachi y Folklorico Juvenil(TM) competition. McDonald's will also offer fun games and free samples of its "Fruit 'n Walnut" Salad(TM) to families who visit its canopied super site located near its music stage.

"Since its inception, McDonald's Fiesta Broadway has celebrated the rich passion and cultural pride that is at the heart of the Hispanic community in Southern California," said Frank Sanchez, local McDonald's owner/operator. "Our Fiesta Broadway title sponsorship over the last six years provides Southern California McDonald's restaurants a great opportunity to visually showcase our strong commitment to the Hispanic community."

McDonald's Fiesta Broadway is one of several community programs that the Golden Arches(R) supports for the benefit of the Southland's Hispanic community. Produced by the McDonald's Operators' Association of Southern California (MOASC), McMariachi y Folklorico Juvenil is a showcase designed to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Southern California's Hispanic community by recognizing the most talented amateur youth mariachi and ballet folklorico dance groups in Southern California. More than 5,000 children have shared their love of traditional music and dance since the program debuted in 1999.

As part of McDonald's effort to lend a helping hand to tomorrow's Hispanic leaders, the Ronald McDonald House Charities(R)/Hispanic American Commitment to Educational Resources (RMHC/HACER) scholarship program was established in 1989 to recognize and support academically outstanding Hispanic students pursuing a college university education. Including this year's scholarships, the RMHC/HACER program has distributed more than $1.3 million to Hispanic students in Southern California.

Through McDonald's restaurants, funds are raised to support Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California (RMHCSC) and its cornerstone programs -- the Ronald McDonald Houses(R) in Loma Linda, Los Angeles, Orange and Pasadena, Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times(R) and Community Grants Board. The Community Grants Board provides financial grants to non-profit organizations that benefit children in the areas of healthcare, education, creative arts, and civic and social interests.

Since 1987, RMHCSC has donated more than $12 million to hundreds of non-profit Southern California charitable organizations including Casa Pacifica, El Nido Family Centers, Navidad en el Barrio, Padres Contra El Cancer, Para Los Ninos, PUENTE Learning Center and Su Casa Family Crisis & Support Center.

Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times, located in the mountain community of Idyllwild, provides free sleep-away camping experiences for children with cancer and their families. The Camp hosts two "Campamento Familiar" sessions annually that are designed specifically for Spanish-speaking families. Campamento Familiar provides Hispanic children and their families the opportunity to participate in various camping activities and share their experiences with others who are dealing with the same issues.

The Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House(R), which serves as a home-away-from home for families of seriously ill children undergoing treatment at nearby hospitals, will be one of the three charities benefiting from the third annual Fiesta Broadway Charity Golf Tournament scheduled to take place at Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Coast on April 30.

MOASC is composed of more than 600 franchised and company-owned restaurants in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura.

Contact: Gary Caloroso/Pamela Madrid Porter Novelli 310/444-7000 gcaloroso@porternovelli.com

Source: McDonald's

CONTACT: Gary Caloroso, gcaloroso@porternovelli.com, or Pamela Madrid, both of Porter Novelli, +1-310-444-7000, for McDonald's

------- Profile: Ent