Capital Region McDonald's Restaurants Raise Record Dollars for Local Schools

GLENMONT, NY (05/17/2012)(readMedia)-- On Friday, May 18, 2012 at 9:30 am, McDonald's Owner/Operators of the Capital Region will distribute $25,629.91 to 53 local schools. Those schools collaborated with McDonald's on McTeacher's night on April 3, 2012 to raise the funds that will benefit almost 25,000 students and their families.

Four simultaneous check signing events will be held at the following local McDonald's:

1602 Western Avenue Albany, NY,

220 North Comrie Avenue Johnstown, NY,

197 South Broadway Saratoga, NY,

2 Commercial Street Adams, MA.

Students, teachers, parents and administrators are expected at the four sites to receive the checks and enjoy refreshments and bakery treats.

"McDonald's is committed, especially in this challenging economic time, to help our neighborhood schools provide needed resources for our children" said Renee Reardon, president of McDonald's Owner Operators of the Capital Region. "It was very gratifying to not only repeat, but to increase the success of McTeacher's Night again this year. We are delighted that so many parents, teachers, school administrators and community members rally for such a worthy cause."

The Capital Region Owner/Operators have been committed to McTeacher's Night since 2008. As a result of the two and a half hour- event each year, the Co-op has distributed more than $105,000 to participating schools in five years. In addition to McTeacher's Night, local restaurant owners support education throughout the year with innovative educational and community programs that cater to the needs of elementary and high school students throughout the Capital Region.

During McTeacher's Night, principals, PTA presidents, teachers and parents from participating schools joined hundreds of McDonald's finest employees at their community restaurants in Albany, Schenectady and Troy, Watervliet, Lee, Bennington, Pittsfield, Adams and North Adams, Delmar, Clifton Park, and Ballston Spa, Queensbury, Hudson, Johnstown, Gloversville and Middleburgh and surrounding areas -- greeting customers, taking food orders, and assisting with food preparation for students, their parents and other school supporters in order to raise funds for their schools.

In a thank you letter to one of the restaurant owners, a school principal wrote: "We truly appreciate the opportunity to have been part of McTeacher's Night. Besides the income received, it was great publicity and enabled students to see their teachers in a different light, and for our teachers to appreciate the hard work some of our parents do – especially at peak times."

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McDonald's is the leading foodservice provider in the United States serving a variety of wholesome foods made from quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. More than 80 percent of McDonald's 13,700 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local franchisees.

The McDonald's Operators of the Capital Region Co-op consists of 20 owner/operators who own 705 restaurants in the following counties: Albany, Bennington (VT), Berkshire (MA), Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Rutland (VT), Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Ulster, Warren and Washington. McD