STEM-Focused Books Featuring Peanuts’ Snoopy Now Available in Happy Meals
San Diego CA— Continuing its commitment to creating feel good moments and using its scale for good, McDonald’s is donating 600 Happy Meal books featuring Peanuts’ characters Snoopy and Woodstock exploring space to Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego and the San Diego Air & Space Museum to inspire children to explore their universe.
In partnership with the San Diego Air & Space Museum, nearly 25 current and past family members who have stayed at San Diego’s Ronald McDonald House – a home away from home for families with a hospitalized child – were invited to a special story time followed by an afternoon in the museum. Children and families enjoyed a complimentary Happy Meal lunch, which included a Snoopy NASA book and action toy. The event also featured a book reading by a pilot, a sneak peak of the museum’s new portable planetarium that is debuting at schools this fall, a tour through the SPACE: Our Greatest Adventure exhibit designed to motivate youth to pursue careers in air and space sciences, and full access to explore the museum for the rest of the day. At the event, McDonald’s announced it would donate 600 Snoopy NASA Happy Meal books to the San Diego Air & Space Museum and San Diego’s Ronald McDonald House.
Beginning today, McDonald’s Happy Meals will include a lineup of Peanuts’ Snoopy and Woodstock books and action toys that feature NASA spaceships and honor astronauts and space exploration. The special books and toys celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing by Apollo 11. Each Happy Meal also comes with a double-sided token featuring a fact provided by NASA. Snoopy NASA Happy Meals are available at participating McDonald’s restaurants beginning today through September 16 or until supplies last.
“The scale of McDonald’s – with nearly 14,000 locations in the U.S. – gives us the unique ability to spread the joy of reading through these fun books, inspire more family time together and encoure children to explore the world around them,” said Jamie Straza, San Diego County McDonald’s restaurant owner and vice president of McDonald’s Owners Association of Southern California.
“Donations and special experiences such as this help strengthen the families staying at San Diego’s Ronald McDonald House by allowing them to enjoy a moment of normalcy together as a family. They have an opportunity to step away from the hospital, lab appointments and treatments, and immerse themselves in being a family,” said Chuck Day, president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego. “We are grateful to McDonald’s for their continued support of our organization, as well as the book donation which will be a wonderful addition to our on-site school, and to the Air & Space Museum for hosting us on this special day.”
“Part of our mission is to inspire excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, while celebrating aviation and space flight history, so it’s wonderful to see companies like McDonald’s spark children’s curiosity of STEM learning in an approachable and fun way,” said Jim Kidrick, president and CEO of the San Diego Air & Space Museum. “We are honored to host this unique day for the families of San Diego’s Ronald McDonald House Charities and grateful to receive these books to support our community outreach efforts.”
About McDonald’s of Southern California
McDonald’s of Southern California is comprised of more than 700 franchised and company-owned McDonald’s restaurants in Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties.
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