McDonald's Is Giving Back

McDonald’s in Owasso will give away free backpacks to the first 250 children on August 2 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., in conjunction with the Touch-a-Truck canned food drive for Owasso Community Resources.

August 2nd from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. will be a day of fun, ­frolicking, and helping others in the Owasso community at the local McDonald’s locations.      

Owasso McDonald’s owner Tim Rich made the decision to tear down his store located at 76th Street North and Highway 169 last year. A bright, new, updated McDonald’s was reopened on October 29th of 2011. Although the store was shut down beginning July 15, 2011, Mr. Rich said he didn’t want to lose any of his ­employees. Instead, he paid 70 employees to do volunteer work in the community during the construction process of the new McDonald’s store.      

During the three months of construction, McDonald’s employees were busy helping out at Owasso Community Resources (OCR), the Owasso Community Center, the Pregnancy Resource Center, and the Baptist Retirement Center.

During the reconstruction period, the eyes of Mr. Rich and his McDonald’s employees were opened wide as they observed many needs found within their community. Mr. Rich vowed, upon reopening the store, that he would initiate quarterly ­projects designed to give ­something back to the people of Owasso. In March and April, McDonald’s fed 3rd through 5th grade students during mandatory State of Oklahoma testing given to all elementary students. McDonald’s offered free breakfast – a choice of two healthy entrees with milk or orange juice – to any qualifying student.

The next promotion hosted by McDonald’s is scheduled for August 2 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and will feature a free back-to-school McDonald’s ­backpack to the first 250 school-aged children in attendance at the McDonald’s locations at 76th Street North and Highway 169 or 116th Street North and Highway 169. Each participating child who does not get a backpack will be given a coupon for a free cheeseburger and fries at either of the participating stores.

Additionally, 25 trucks of all descriptions will be parked around each store as part of the concurrent Touch-a-Truck Promotion. Any child contributing two canned food items will be permitted to sit behind the wheels of their favorite trucks at the free event – a fun, exciting educational experience! Ronald McDonald will split his time between the two McDonald’s restaurants, and students are invited to bring their cameras to have a free photo taken with the ever popular Ronald McDonald.

The goal is to collect 5,000 canned food items in four hours. All cans will be donated to the Owasso Community Resources food pantry, according to OCR Director Nadia Guevara. Vehicles on display during the four-hour promotion include antique tractors, tow trucks, fire trucks, ambulances, garbage trucks, road sweepers, police vehicles, swat vehicles, concrete trucks, service trucks, 18-wheelers, and two Corvettes. Local sponsors include P&K Equipment, Classic Chevrolet, Warren Caterpillar, Verdigris Valley Electric, ONG, Lennox Towing, City of Owasso, LaFarge Cement, PSO, Frontier International, Dr. Pepper, and Coca Cola.

The combined McDonald’s promotions will also provide an opportunity for qualifying ­students to pre-register for free school supplies for pre-K through 12th grade students. This opportunity and the two back-to-school events are being promoted on McDonald’s tray liners and bag stuffers by McDonald’s at no cost to OCR.

McDonald’s owners Tim and Patty Rich are committed to giving back to the community through quarterly events and activities. Each event is assured to be family-friendly and geared to benefit the people of the Owasso community.

For more information, contact

McDonald’s

(918) 694-2543

www.mcdonalds.com