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McDonald's Olympic Kids march with athletes in the opening ceremony
McDonald's, a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Games, is undertaking various initiatives for the Rio Olympics.
The company became an Official Partner at the 1976 Montreal Games and, at the 1996 Atlanta Games, became the first corporate restaurant to provide meals in the Athletes' Village. Starting with the 1998 Nagano Olympics, it began supporting world-class events as a Worldwide Partner.
Here are some of its activities at the Rio Games.
■ "Olympic Kids"
This global program, hosted by McDonald's since the 2008 Beijing Games, aims to help children—the future leaders of the sports world—experience the "world" they aspire to and take a big leap forward. One hundred children from 20 countries worldwide, including Japan, participated alongside local Brazilian children.
McDonald's Japan recruited these Kids, selecting seven Japanese representatives to participate in the event from approximately 4,000 applications nationwide. Furthermore, this time, great medalists also participated with their own children. From Japan, judoka Tadahiro Nomura, who is also an ambassador for the program, accompanied his son Motoharu, who traveled to the venue as the eighth Kid.
The children participated in the Opening Ceremony held at Maracanã Stadium on August 5. During the ceremony, under grand themes like environmental protection and coexistence, they marched alongside the flag bearers of each country, each holding a sapling.
This marked the first time children participated in the opening ceremony. They also enjoyed watching judo competitions and experiencing local culture, making the most of the program.
■ "Olympic Champion Crew"
This program is a unique initiative exclusive to the official restaurant, where outstanding crew members (part-time employees working at restaurants) selected from McDonald's locations worldwide experience operations at the special McDonald's restaurant in the Athletes' Village. The program began at the 1996 Atlanta Games, and McDonald's Japan has sent crew members five times in the past.
This time, McDonald's Japan has selected nine representatives for the Rio Games through a rigorous screening process from among its 120,000 crew members nationwide. From August 18 to 20, these crew members will provide hospitality with Japan's spirit of hospitality and high-level skills, supporting the Olympic Games behind the scenes.
Meanwhile, at Olympic Park, they have set up and are operating the world's largest dessert stand.
The menu features soft-serve ice cream and sundaes, and the stand bustles daily with people seeking desserts regardless of the weather.
Related article: McDonald's Japan Announces "Victory Burger" to Energize Rio[July 28, 2016]
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