JARED SULLINGER NAMED TO 2010 McDONALD’S
ALL AMERICAN® HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL TEAM
Ohio State committee Deshaun Thomas joins Sullinger on East squad
Headlining the event for local basketball fans is center Jared Sullinger of Northland High School. Sullinger will be joined by forward Deshaun Thomas of Bishop Luers High School in Fort Wayne, Ind.; both are part of The Ohio State University’s 2010 men’s basketball recruiting class.
The 2010 McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Games will be played March 31 at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio, meaning local fans will get a sneak peak at the two future teammates.
“Both Jared and Deshaun are tremendous talents and we’re excited that central Ohio fans don’t have to wait till next year to see these two in action together,” said Matt Harper, local McDonald’s owner/operator and local chair of the 2010 McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Games.
Final rosters consist of the top 24 boys and 24 girls high school players as chosen by the McDonald’s Selection Committee, which is comprised of the nation’s most knowledgeable high school analysts, prep scouts, high school newspaper reporters and prestigious basketball coaches. Those 48 student athletes were selected from a combined pool of more than 2,100 nominees. For more information on the nominee and roster selection process, visit www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com.
Tickets for both the POWERADE® Jam Fest (March 29, 2010, 6:30 p.m. ET) and the McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Games (March 31, 2010, 5:30 p.m. ET – Girls, 8:00 p.m. ET – Boys) can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or at the Value City Arena Box Office. Ticket prices range from $10 – $15 for the POWERADE Jam Fest and $10 – $58 for the McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Games.
Proceeds from the events will directly benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio (RMHC). RMHC provides a home away from home for families with seriously ill children staying and receiving treatment at nearby hospitals.
More than 900 high school athletes have been named to the McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Team in the last 33 years. From that alumni class, more than 90 percent have played college basketball for Division I programs and more than 150 currently compete in the NBA/WNBA, meaning Ohio will get an opportunity to see the stars of tomorrow up close and personal.
About Ronald McDonald House Charities
Ronald McDonald House Charities, a non-profit 501 (c)(3) corporation, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. Its programs are grassroots-driven to enable the Charity to offer help where children need it most — right in their own communities. RMHC makes an immediate, positive impact on children’s lives through its global network of local Chapters in nearly 50 countries and regions and its three core programs: Ronald McDonald House®, Ronald McDonald Family Room® and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile™. RMHC and its global network of local Chapters have awarded more than $460 million in grants and program services to children’s programs around the world. For more information, visit www.rmhc.org.
About McDonald’s
McDonald’s USA, LLC, 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 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local franchisees. For more information on McDonald’s visit www.mcdonalds.com or log on at any of the 11,000 Wi-Fi enabled McDonald’s U.S. restaurants.
Note: More information can be found online in our electronic press kit: http://mcdepk.com/2010allamericangames/.
POWERADE Jam Fest
The POWERADE Jam Fest is Monday, March 29 at 6:30 p.m. at Value City Arena.
The POWERADE Jam Fest is comprised of a three-point contest, skills challenge and slam dunk contest.
Great tickets can still be purchased at your local McDonald’s restaurant or via Ticketmaster.com and the Value City Arena Box Office.
Tickets are on sale for anywhere from $10 to $15.
The POWERADE Jam Fest will allow these talented young men and women, including OSU recruits Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas, to showcase their skills.
We’ll also have a celebrity judging panel with some great Columbus flavor including Ron Stokes, Eddie George, Archie Griffin, Jessica Davenport and Kirk Herbstreit.
It’s a tremendous event for families because tickets are affordable and there will be tons of action for fans of all ages.
Visit McDonaldsAllAmerican.com for more info on the POWERADE Jam Fest, including highlight reels from previous events.
McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Games
The McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Games are Wednesday, March 31 at Value City Arena.
The girls’ game starts at 5:30 p.m. and the boys tip-off around 8 p.m.
Tickets are still available via Ticketmaster.com or the Value City Arena Box Office.
Tickets are on sale for anywhere from $10 to $58.
The McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Games feature the top 24 girl and top 24 boy high school basketball players in the country.
Several players have Ohio ties including Natasha Howard from Toledo Waite High School and OSU men’s basketball recruits Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas.
I know Ohio State fans are excited about the chance to get a sneak peek at Sullinger and Thomas on the court together well before next season rolls around.
They should also be excited about seeing several future all-stars before they make it big on the national scene.
In the last 33 years, more than 950 athletes have been named to the McDonald’s All American Team. From that alumni class, more than 90 percent have played Division I college basketball, meaning we’re getting a great opportunity to see some tremendous athletes up close and personal.
The McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Games are important to Columbus not only because of their national prominence but because all profits from the Games directly benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio.
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio provide a home away from home for families with seriously ill children staying and receiving treatment at nearby hospitals, particularly Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
Several months ago, the event committee set a goal of using the Games to raise $1 million for our local Ronald McDonald House and I’m proud to say we’ve achieved that goal with the help of 185 local businesses.
These funds will allow Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio to expand and strengthen its services – a need that’s unfortunately growing by the day as the House has been above 90% occupancy for the last two years.
The easiest way to support the Games and the House is to help us fill Value City Arena Wednesday evening. This is a national event and Columbus obviously wants to put its best foot forward.
If you’re unable to attend the events but want to support our local Ronald McDonald House, simply purchase a large soft drink at McDonald’s restaurants in March and a portion of the sale will be donated to the House.
Visit McDonaldsAllAmerican.com for more info on the McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Games.
