McDonald's® All American High School Basketball Game Tickets Now on Sale
26th Annual McDonald's All American™ High School Basketball Boys Game And Second Annual Girls Game to Be Played at Gund Arena in Cleveland
PRNewswire
OAK BROOK, Ill.
Nov 15, 2002
McDonald's® Corporation and its Northeast Ohio Owner/Operators announced today that tickets are officially on sale for the 26th annual McDonald's All American High School Basketball Boys Game and the second annual Girls Game. Both games will be played in Cleveland at Gund Arena -- home of the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers and the WNBA Cleveland Rockers -- on March 26, 2003 at 4:30 p.m. (EST) and 7 p.m. (EST), respectively.
Ticket prices range from $10 - $50. Tickets are available at the Gund Arena Box Office and all Ticketmaster Ticket Center locations or by calling Ticketmaster Charge-by-Phone at 216/241-1212 (Cleveland), 330/945-9400 (Akron) or 330/747-1212 (Youngstown). Tickets also can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com .
"Bringing the McDonald's All American Games to Gund Arena exemplifies McDonald's commitment to the local communities in Northeast Ohio," said John Powers, chairman of the Northeastern Ohio Owner/Operators Association and the 2003 All American Games. "The local McDonald's owners are looking forward to hosting these exciting, nationally acclaimed games."
This year marks the first time since the Game began in 1978 that it will take place in Ohio. Taking into account Ohio's long tradition of supporting high school sports, a sell-out crowd is expected -- more than 20,000 fans, which would be one of the largest crowds in the history of the Game.
"Gund Arena is pleased to host the McDonald's All American Game, one of high school basketball's premier events. To provide the opportunity for these young athletes to showcase their talent in a marquee event at a professional basketball arena is as exciting for us as it is for them," said Cavs/Gund Arena Company President and CEO, Jim Boland.
More than 300 Northeast Ohio high school basketball players helped kick off activities for the 2003 Games by participating in the "Fast Break for Families" dribble relay. The relay began at the Ronald McDonald House® in Youngstown, Ohio on November 12 and ended at the Gund Arena on November 15, as tickets were released for public sale. Each player dribbled for approximately a half-mile along the 94-mile route, while making stops at the Ronald McDonald House in Akron and Cleveland, beneficiaries of the 2003 Games.
Approximately 2,500 top high school boy and girl basketball players from across the country will be nominated to the McDonald's All American Teams in January 2003. A committee of prominent boys and girls basketball experts will select the final team members in February. Legendary UCLA coach, John Wooden, who has been involved in the Game since its inception, serves as Chairman Emeritus of the McDonald's All American Game. Additionally, Coach Morgan Wootten, who recently retired as the winningest high school basketball coach of all time, serves as chairman of the McDonald's All American Game Selection Committee.
Selected players will join a list of alumni that includes current and former NBA superstars such as Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Allan Houston, Grant Hill, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant, as well as current men's NCAA standouts Nick Collison (Kansas), Chris Duhon (Duke), Jason Gardner (Arizona), T.J. Ford (Texas) and Jason Kapono (UCLA); in addition to up and coming women's NCAA stars Shanna Zolman (Tennessee), Ann Strother (UConn), and Courtney LaVere (Notre Dame).
Throughout its 25-year history, the Game has fulfilled its primary purpose as a fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House Charities®, as well as being a showcase for young basketball players. Net proceeds from the 2003 McDonald's All American Games will benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities' chapters of Northeastern Ohio. Previous beneficiaries of McDonald's All American Games include Sickle Cell Anemia Research, the United Negro College Fund and many other local children's charities. More than $3 million has been raised since the game was first played.
For more information on the McDonald's All American Game, please visit www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com or www.mcdonalds.com .
McDonald's is the leading global foodservice retailer, with more than 29,000 restaurants serving more than 45 million people each day in 121 countries. Approximately 80 percent of McDonald's worldwide restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees.
SOURCE: McDonald's Corporation
CONTACT: Michon Ellis of McDonald's, +1-630-623-5508,
michon.ellis@mcd.com ; Molly Hawkins of Golin-Harris, +1-312-729-4135,
mhawkins@golinharris.com ; or Jim Brazytis of Stern Public Relations,
+1-216-464-4850, ext. 3049, jimbrazytis@sternadvertising.com
Web site: http://www.ticketmaster.com/
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