Diverse News 2008®

NEWS FEEDS
Ronald McDonald House Charities(R) Awards Scholarships Philly Students
     McDonald's(R) Celebrates Black History Month By Spotlighting Young
Achievers; Urban League of Philadelphia Patricia A. Coulter to be presented
                with the Black History Maker of Today Award

    PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Ronald McDonald House Charities
(RMHC(R)) and the McDonald's Owner/Operators of the Greater Philadelphia
Region will recognize the accomplishments of 20 area high school seniors by
awarding them RMHC/African American Future Achievers $1,000 college
scholarships. RMHC/Future Achievers is a local extension of a national
program that recognizes African American high school seniors for their
scholastic achievement, community service and financial need.

    Now in its sixth year in the Philadelphia Region, the scholarship
competition received nearly 200 applications. A panel of judges comprised
of African American community leaders, and McDonald's and RMHC
representatives selected the winners from Southeastern Pennsylvania,
Southern New Jersey and Delaware (winners list follows).

    "McDonald's and Ronald McDonald House Charities are proud to support
education initiatives in the Greater Philadelphia region and hope to
inspire more students to pursue their dreams of attaining a higher level of
education," said Barry Person, President of the Philadelphia Black
McDonald's Owner/Operator Association.



    The winning students will be recognized at the RMHC/Future Achievers
Awards Celebration, being held on Tuesday, February 26, from 6:00 p.m. to
9:00 p.m. at the Independence Visitors Center in Philadelphia.

    The event will feature a keynote address by Patricia A. Coulter,
president and chief operating officer of the Urban League of Philadelphia
who will also be presented with the Anthony De Luz Black History Maker of
Today Award. This award is named after Anthony De Luz, who, with his
partner, became the first African American franchisees to open a McDonald's
Restaurant in the Northeast. This award honors local leaders whose
pioneering work has made an impact on Black History and continues to
inspire African Americans.

    RMHC of the Philadelphia Region, Inc., is dedicated to supporting
programs that improve the lives of children and families. RMHC "lifts
children to a better tomorrow" through scholarship programs for high school
seniors; the Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey and Delaware Ronald McDonald
Houses; the St. Christopher's Foundation for Children Ronald McDonald Care
Mobile; and grants to not-for-profit children's programs.

    There are more than 300 McDonald's restaurants in the Greater
Philadelphia Region, which includes Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New
Jersey and Kent and New Castle counties in Delaware that have proudly
supported scholarship programs such as RMHC Future Achievers since 1985.

    McDonald's is the leading foodservice retailer with more than 30,000
local restaurants serving quality food to nearly 50 million customers in
more than 100 countries each day. Approximately 70 percent of McDonald's
restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent, local men and
women.

    Ronald McDonald House Charities(R)/African American Future Achievers(R)
2008



                            Scholarship Recipients

    Brittany Alston
    Lindenwold High School
    Lindenwold, NJ

    Antoinette Barnes
    University City High School
    Philadelphia, Pa.

    Sharif Braxton
    Julia R. Masterman
    Philadelphia, Pa.

    Dominique Brown
    Philadelphia Military Academy
    Philadelphia, Pa.

    Hope Cornelius
    Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School
    West Chester, Pa.

    Kiah Edmondson
    Camden Academy Charter High School
    Camden, NJ

    Monique Fortune
    Philadelphia High School for Girls
    Philadelphia, Pa.

    Triston Francis
    Peddie School
    Hightstown, NJ

    Justin Gray
    Horace Howard Furness High School
    Philadelphia, Pa.

    Atisha Herring
    Pleasantville High School
    Pleasantville, NJ

    Constance Johnson
    Central High School
    Philadelphia, Pa.

    Charles Langley, Jr.
    Cardinal Dougherty High School
    Philadelphia, Pa.

    Kristen Lewis
    Vineland High School South
    Vineland, NJ

    Mikkyla McLean
    Trenton Central High School
    Trenton, NJ

    Rashida Mustafa
    Cab Calloway School of the Arts
    Wilmington, Del.

    Jasmine Paul
    Caesar Rodney High School
    Camden-Wyoming, Del.

    Gerald Shannon, Jr.
    Germantown High School
    Philadelphia, Pa.

    Vanessa Verlander
    Woodbury High School
    Woodbury, NJ

    Ashley Vincent
    Philadelphia High School for Girls
    Philadelphia, Pa.

    Darlene Washington
    Philadelphia High School for Girls
    Philadelphia, Pa.
SOURCE Ronald McDonald House Charities
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