McDonald's Announces Finalists in 'Voice Of McDonald's II' Global Singing Contest

McDonald's Announces Finalists in 'Voice Of McDonald's II' Global Singing
Contest

OAK BROOK, Ill., Dec. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- People from around the world
voiced their choice more than 46,000 times in a recent online vote and helped
select 14 talented McDonald's restaurant workers as Voice of McDonald's II
finalists. Each finalist competed in the second round of judging with
34 other semifinalists for the chance to be named McDonald's next singing
sensation. The 14 finalists will be flown with a guest to Orlando, Fla., to
participate in the final competition to be held at McDonald's 2008 Worldwide
Convention, April 14-17.
"The response to online voting was terrific and we now have 14 very
impressive young men and women going into the final rounds of competition,"
said Rich Floersch, executive vice president and chief human resources
officer,
McDonald's Corporation. "This is an exciting opportunity for our restaurant
employees. We are very proud of them and their accomplishments, and to
empower them to explore their artistic talent motivates us all."
The 14 Voice of McDonald's II finalists are:
-- Paulina Susan Bacarat -- Davao del Sur, Philippines
-- Glories Putera Birawida -- Malang, East Java, Indonesia
-- Aziah Bolling -- Newfoundland, Pennsylvania
-- Chisato Kon -- Aomori-shi, Aomori-Ken, Japan
-- Mandy Neff -- Greenville, Ohio
-- Natercia Pintor -- Lisbon, Portugal
-- Candido Revilles -- Calgary, Alberta, Canada
-- Anthony Reber -- Vevey Vaud, Switzerland
-- Jesus Xavier Rios -- Fajardo, Puerto Rico
-- Axel Gaston Rivero -- Buenos Aires, Argentina
-- Frank Steding -- Moers, Germany
-- Charles Wilkins -- Cochran, Georgia
-- Mary Margaret Yu -- Davao del Sur, Philippines
-- Zul'fiya Zagashtokova -- Cherkessk, Russia

Each finalist has won a trip with a guest to compete for a chance to win
the $25,000 grand prize and be named the next Voice of McDonald's at
McDonald's 2008 Worldwide Convention.
"McDonald's is not only committed to offering world-class training and
benefits, but also to helping our employees realize their hopes and dreams,"
said Floersch. "For many, Voice of McDonald's is considered the chance of a
lifetime. We've all been inspired by their performances and can't wait for
the finalists to hit the stage in Orlando."
About Voice of McDonald's
Voice of McDonald's is a worldwide contest to discover, recognize and
reward the most talented singers from among the more than 1.6 million crew and
managers working in McDonald's restaurants. Level one judging took place in
October 2007, at which time a panel of judges with expertise in the
music/talent industries judged contestants in three areas: singing ability
(60 percent), creativity (20 percent) and on-camera/stage presence (20
percent).
In the second round of competition, people from around the world went
online to help choose the top global finalists. Because of the outstanding
talent of the 35 semi-finalists, McDonald's senior management raised the
number of finalists from 10 to 14.
About McDonald's
McDonald's is the leading global foodservice retailer with more than
30,000 local restaurants in more than 100 countries. More than 75% of
McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by franchisees and
affiliates. Please visit our website at http://www.mcdonalds.com to learn
more about the Company.
McDonald's and the Voice of McDonald's II logo are trademarks of
McDonald's Corporation and its affiliates.
SOURCE McDonald's

Deanna Killackey of JSH&A, +1-630-932-7927, for McDonald's; or Heidi Barker,
+1-630-623-3791, or Soraya Garcia, +1-630-623-2163, both of McDonald's