Billions of people around the world are gearing up to watch the Olympic Games this August from Rio de Janeiro. One of the biggest spectacles of the games is the opening ceremony featuring the parade of athletes in a spectacle showcasing the culture of each competing nation. Team USVI will proudly enter the stadium wearing bright tropical colors, with a little help from McDonald’s Virgin Islands, which has stepped up with a donation to provide team members, organizers and coaches with navy blazers featuring the new Virgin Islands Olympic “Soaring Bird” logo, bright yellow logo shirts and traditional straw hats with madras hatbands and matching pocket squares.
While McDonald’s Corporation has been a global sponsor for 10 consecutive games, this is the first year that the V.I. franchise will sponsor on a local basis.
Angel “Chico” Morales, VI Olympic Committee president, welcomes the partnership with McDonald’s. “The Virgin Islands delegation has become famous for our colorful tropical shirts. With McDonald’s help, we are able to carry on this tradition. Their support not only helps with training and participation costs for the 2016 Rio Olympics, it also allows us to share the Olympic dream with future athletes with better access to sports facilities and training. We hope many more Virgin Islands companies will follow their example and become sponsors.”
“90 million viewers watched the opening ceremonies from London” reported Aletia Hodge, Arcos Dorados Operations Manager for St. Thomas. “We are proud to partner with the Virgin Islands Olympic Committee to be an active force in energizing future athletes and promoting healthy and active lifestyles.”
McDonald’s commitment to the Olympic Movement began in 1968, when the company airlifted hamburgers to U.S. athletes in Grenoble, France, after they reported being homesick for McDonald’s food. In celebration of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, the company is featuring a special Triple Winner Burger Sandwich and Commemorative Olympic Games Cups.
To learn more about the organization, competing athletes or sponsorship, visit the Web site: www.virginislandsolympics.org.
For further information, contact Brigitte Berry at vioa@virginislandsolympics.org or 719-8462.
