McDonald's, the world's largest foodservice retailer, will be offering a new Thanksgiving tradition on its fast-food menu. The McThankful Meal will provide an alternative holiday dinner for the millions of customers they serve daily. For the Thanksgiving Day launch in selected cities, celebrities from Hollywood and professional sporting will be on hand to literally "serve it up."
McDonald's Thanksgiving Day feast to feature all-star line-up
By Todd Fox
OakBrook, IL--McDonald's, the leading global foodservice retailer with more than 30,000 restaurants serving nearly 47 million people in more than 120 countries each day, has initiated its 2004 "McThankful Meal" Thanksgiving celebration with a star-studded lineup.
To launch the McThankful Meal, music artist and actress sisters Hilary Duff and Haylie Duff, tennis champions Venus Williams and Serena Williams, multi-platinum recording artist Clay Aiken, Latin superstar Alejandro Fernandez, Olympic track and field legend Carl Lewis, and famed American Idol judge Randy Jackson, will literally don uniforms, headsets, and hair nets to get in the spirit.
Celebrities will also be creating and donating autographed "turkey and Indian handprints." The handprints will be auctioned on eBay the week following the holiday.
Handprints from Brooke Shields, Lara Flynn Boyle, Blair Underwood, Andy Dick, Peter Boyle, Nick Carter, Trista Rehn-Sutter and Kwame Jackson, among others, will also be available for bid.
Williams sisters serve up aces, fries
Food has always been an important part of the Thanksgiving holiday. "What kinds of things do you think the Pilgrims ate in the 1620s?" Serena Williams, tennis champion who is currently ranked 8th in the world, joked with patrons. "Me? I'd have taken the McThankful meal."
The famous sisters will be featured in a television commercial teaming them with legendary McDonaldland character, the Hamburglar. The TV spot, which will launch on Thanksgiving Day, is set as a mysterious adventure in historic Plymouth Rock, and features the heroines discovering something truly to be thankful for, the McThankful Meal available for only one dollar.
Traditions recycled
While some may view the McThankful Meal as an affront to American traditions, McDonald's spokeman, Gene Erickson, put it into perspective. "The Pilgrims did not eat turkey at their first feast. The term 'turkey' referred to any sort of wild fowl. While most Americans associate pumpkin pie with the holiday, at the first table you would not have found pumpkin pie, milk, cider, potatoes or butter."
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McThankful Meal | |
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The $1 McThankful meal will include • Choice of Turkey Nuggets or McTurkey Sandwich • McValue Sweet Potato Fries • Soft drink • Choice of Baked Apple Pie or Cranberry 'n Yogurt Parfait |
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Historians have noted that the first feast most likely included fish, berries, lobster, dried fruit, clams, venison, and plums. The potato, a staple of the McDonald's menu, was still considered to be poisonous by many Europeans.
I'm lovin it
Modern Thanksgiving has been transformed into a time to share with friends and family. For some families, the celebration is held early for family members who must work on Thanksgiving. “I am working that day, so instead of celebrating early, we're taking the whole family through the McDonald's Drive-Thru" said mother of three Stacy Samuelson of Geneva, NY. "The kids are excited, and I'll have nothing to clean up. You know I'm lovin' it."
Thanksgiving, a truly American holiday, commemorates the celebration Pilgrims shared with Indians in 1621. Despite early struggles, the Pilgrims, who landed at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620, enjoyed a memorable harvest and invited to dinner 91 Indians who had helped them survive the first year. Historians believe the Pilgrims would not have survived without the help of the Indians. The Indians eventually died from diseases brought by the Pilgrims or were slaughtered by them.
Todd Fox can be reached at [email protected]
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