Local McDonald’s owner/operator Nelson Hachem presents Paden City High School’s Ricky Wright with his 1009 McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Team nomination. (Photo by Bruce Crawford)

Ricky Wright from Paden City High School has been nominated for the 2009 McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Team, an elite collection of the finest basketball players in the nation.

For the past 32 years, more than 1,000 players have competed in the McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Games, a veritable “Who’s Who” in basketball history. More importantly, the games have raised millions of dollars for Ronald McDonald House Charities nationwide.

Nelson Hachem, local McDonald’s restaurant owner/operator, recognized Wright for the hard work, skill, and teamwork he exhibited this season at the Feb. 6 home game at Paden City High School.

Selected from a huge roster of players from across the country, nominees are chosen by the McDonald’s All American Basketball Selection Committee, a group of nationally prominent basketball experts.

From the field of national nominees, 24 outstanding boy athletes and 24 outstanding girl athletes will be named to the prestigious McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Team.

Expected to be announced in late February, those players will compete on April, 1 at the BankUnited Center on the University of Miami Campus. The 24 girl players will compete in the seventh annual McDonald’s All American Girls Game at 5:30 p.m. EST and airs live on ESPNU. The 24 boy players will tip off at the 30th annual McDonald’s All American Game at 8 p.m. EST, which airs live on ESPN.

Proceeds from both games will benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities. The Ronald McDonald House program has provided a “home-away-from-home” for millions of families of seriously ill children since its inception in 1974.

McDonald’s All American alumni include current and former NBA stars such as Michael Jordan (retired), Magic Johnson (retired), Kevin Garnett (Minnesota Timberwolves), LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets), as well as Women’s NCAA stars Shanna Zolman (Tennessee), Ann Strother (UConn), and Seimone Augustus (LSU).

McDonald’s is the leading foodservice retailer in the global consumer marketplace, with more than 34,000 restaurants in 110 countries.

More than 85 percent of McDonald’s restaurant businesses are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs who live in the communities where they do business. For more information, visit http://mcdonaldspghtristate.com.