Louis Marston, a long-time soccer fan, had one word to describe his first reaction to finding out he was going to the World Cup: “Shock.”
He was looking at World Cup tickets for him and his 14-year-old son, David, in Atlanta where tickets were slightly cheaper. Then he found out McDonald’s was sending them to not only watch the Scotland-Brazil game in Miami, for free, but also to participate in the pre-game ceremony.
“It’s excitement and shock,” Marston said about his first reaction to hearing he was selected. “I never win anything.”
The Manchester City fan has been following professional soccer with his wife for the last 16 years and has watched David grow to love the sport too.
Kids will attend, help out
And now, David will serve as a flag bearer at the June 24 game as part of the McDonald’s Fan Crew program to make an unforgettable day.
He had a similar reaction to the news as his father.
“The first words out of his mouth was ‘No way,’” Marston said. “And, then excitement, of course. Who doesn’t like the game and doesn’t want to go to this event?”
Although both are excited to watch the game, Marston is most looking forward to experiencing the day with David, he said.
The two will be joined at the game by another parent-child duo from the Southwest Florida McDonald’s family.
Heather Lane-Tanelus started working at McDonald’s eight years before her 17-year-old daughter, Savanna, was even born. Now the company is sending the Naples-area supervisor and her daughter to the World Cup for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Savanna will serve as a flag bearer at the Scotland vs. Brazil game in Miami on Wednesday, June 24, as Lane-Tanelus watches from their seats, the part of the experience Lane-Tanelus says she is most looking forward to.
The game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. and will be shown on Fox, Peacock and Telemundo.
‘We have amazing owners’
Lane-Tanelus, who supervises four restaurants in the Naples area, first heard about the opportunity at the beginning of the year when owner/operator, Nick Rodriguez, asked which employees, with children aged 13 to 17, wanted to be considered.
“We have amazing owners, who give us opportunities like this to do stuff like this,” she said. “They are very involved in our community and involved in the McDonald’s world, and it’s nice to have that.”
She submitted her daughter’s name, and several months later, after a roulette wheel of eligible employees, found out the pair was going to the World Cup.
“My reaction was “Oh my, OK this is happening,” Lane-Tanelus said. “This is a big opportunity.”
Her family has always been into sports but is getting into soccer more with the World Cup coming up.
But Lane-Tanelus is most excited about the events before the game.
“Seeing my daughter walk out on to the pitch with these players who have made a name for themselves, or you know, celebrities in the sports world,” she said about what she is most looking forward to about the game.
Rodriguez, who selected Lane-Tanelus and Savanna for the opportunity, said he is grateful to have her in their organization.
“We’re just super honored that we could provide this platform for her and for her daughter to be able to experience something like this,” Rodriguez said. “For Heather and Savanna, it’s the celebration of family, hard work and a potential life-changing moment.”
Morale is at an all-time high at the locations he operates, Rodriguez said.
You can reach Naples Daily News reporter Alexa Ryan by emailing Alexa.Ryan@naplesnews.com.
Do you have an opinion about this topic? Send us a letter to the editor or guest column at mailbag@news-press.com or letters@naplesnews.com.
Please support local community journalism and stay informed about Southwest Florida news by subscribing to The News-Press and Naples Daily News; download the free News-Press or Naples Daily News app, and sign up for daily briefing email newsletter, food & dining and growth & development newsletters here and here.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples, Fort Myers McDonald’s employees to attend World Cup
Reporting by Alexa Ryan, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Naples Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Alexa Ryan, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News | USA TODAY Network
