Ronald McDonald

Ronald McDonald is a character created to advertise McDonald's restaurant chain. Depicted as a smiling, friendly clown in a village of food-related characters, he appeared in many vignettes creating a safe, pleasant fantasy for children. The highly successful advertising campaign continues to draw in parents who succumb to the pleas of their young children for a Happy Meal[?] or other treats from McDonalds.

Many of the restaurants are decorated with a life-size statue of the clown, holding out his hand to greet customers at the entrance, and children love to shake hands with him. Sometimes the figure is sitting on a bench allowing children to sit next to him or on his lap.

Several people work full-time making appearances in the Ronald McDonald costume, visiting children in hospitals. There are also several Ronald McDonald Houses[?], where parents can stay overnight when visiting sick children in nearby chronic care facilities.