Sunday, March 2, 2008

Ronald's bounty and your chance to win it

The final chapter in the smackdown between the Don Mills Diva and Ronald McDonald is about to be written.

First there was the horrible experience at McDonald's that I documented in this letter and posted here. Then came the profuse and sincere apologies that Graham and I received from Lori, the restaurant owner.

And then on Friday a courier delivered some tokens of the big clown's goodwill. In addition to a half dozen coupons for free breakfast sandwiches, we received this set of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle dolls...



...this set of Shrek collectibles...




...and this set of Wizard of Oz collectible dolls.





So here's the deal.

I appreciate that Lori took the time to send these things out: I truly, truly do. But Graham doesn't have the foggiest idea who any of these characters are and he is currently up to his neck in toys and it just feels a little dodgy to me that I should actually profit from an unfortunate incident when all I really wanted was an apology and so...

I'm gonna give 'em away.

I'm gonna give the coupons to my brother 'cause he's a single dad and he works his butt off driving a dump truck and he eats at McDonald's and he will use and appreciate them. I'm gonna give two sets of the collectibles to a local shelter that houses women and children fleeing domestic violence.

And...drumroll please...I'm gonna send out one set of the collectibles to one of you fabulous readers because, really, if it weren't for all your support and angry comments the fuzzy-red-haired one might not have even paid me any heed.

So if you are interested, or you have kiddies who would be interested, in one of the three sets of collectibles, leave me a comment indicating which one you'd like. I'll close the comments at midnight next Saturday, print 'em up and pick one from a hat.

I'll post the name of the winner on Sunday and even pick up the cost of mailing the dolls out. I will, however, remove them the cardboard set they came in and stuff them in a bubble envelope or something 'cause postage is expensive and there's a limit to my generosity, y'all.

So there you have it, a happy ending for everyone. Leave me a comment and enter to win!

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60 comments:

Kayris said...

I'm leaving a comment, but please don't send them to me. I just wanted to say that when I first read your post, but before I got to the end, my first thought was, "Oh great, plenty of plastic crap to clutter up your house!"

But that is a nice gesture on the part of the manager. And good luck to anyone who does want them!

emily said...

Ahhh, how sweet of you. I want in on this action :)

My daughters are going on their first plane ride on 3/24 and Wizard of Oz is a big deal around these parts. And I have it on good authority that the Easter Bunny already picked up a couple of Wizard of Oz sticker books... And small items that I can carry on a plane and keep both kids busy... DING DING DING!

Brittany said...

hey, look! You're paying it forward ;) Nice job!!!

Enter me, why not! haha. :) Adam would like the turtles, I am sure!!

Jenn @ Juggling Life said...

Wizard of Oz collectibles, oh my!

MamaGeek @ Works For Us said...

Wow, happy ending indeed. I love your big heart DMD - excellent idea.

Amy said...

you are so kind! no need to enter me as my boys have too much stuff, but thank you anyway!

Llama Momma said...

We do not need one more toy at our house, but I think you are so sweet to give these away!!

(Don't tell my boys I passed those teenage mutant ninja whatevers up...)

Karen said...

Wow! I can't believe they're still trying to make up their mistake. It's great that they're going the extra mile. My son would love the Shrek set, but we need them like we need a hole in our heads. Please do NOT include us in the drawing. May someone who truly wants them win.

Cynthia said...

Way to give it away girl!

Awesome Mom said...

I am not commenting to win, but I think you have a great idea. My kids get given random character stuff that they have no idea about too.

Rachel said...

Olivia is crazy beside herself over Wizard of Oz. Please Please Please let us win that and then the Easter Bunny will be Golden :-)

I loved this saga! :-)

Shellie said...

What a happy ending! That's a great idea to give them to the shelter and all and your bloggy friends. I don't want them, but did you know whoever gets it that if you keep a whole set unused, it will be a collector's item someday. :) But what the heck, I'd rather see my kids enjoy them if I were you. Plus, they'd find them and destroy them if I did want to collect them. I hope one of the Wizard of Oz people will win them.

Kelly said...

My boys would love the turtles!

Unknown said...

Hell no to McDonald's toys...we have enough Bratz Dolls and Strawberry Shortcakes as is...I even tell them to leave the toy out now, please and thanks. Hopefully, I've broken the habit early enough that my girls will never expect that crapola.

That said, I find it HILARIOUS that McDic sent you THREE sets of toys! Wow. I have no more words :D

oda41143 Missy said...

I am very surprised that the manager went to all that trouble. They way they treated you was awful. I love that you are giving away the things she sent to you. Good thinking.

Shauna said...

Since I'm a Shrek fan and shall insist that Chicka become one too, I shall enter this fun little contest for the Shrek characters but also, I think it's fun to get mail from bloggers. :)

OHmommy said...

Hey. I have something for you on my blog.

Congrats on the Ronald. We like Oz.

GoMommy said...

I don't want them, but wanted to tell you I think you are awesome for giving them away!

Maria said...

Hey, that's cool! Did you feel much better?

tommie said...

That is a great way to make sure you will return to her store. As for the dolls, my little girl would LOVE the Wizard of Oz ones. She is all about being a girly girl!

Angie @ KEEP BELIEVING said...

I do NOT WANT THESE! I REPEAT, this comment does not at all imply that we want these toys. We do our part, on happy meal at a time, to make McDonalds the multi-billion dollar empire it is. I just wanted to say that I read through this history and I, like you, am impressed with the grace McDonald's remedied the situation.

KEEP BELIEVING

Kamis Khlopchyk said...

You are such a lovely person! Good luck to everyone who enters.

We don't need any over here at the Khlopchyk house, we have enough toys for 10 kids :-)

Beth from the Funny Farm said...

I'm leaving a comment.

I'm glad you wrote a letter. I bet that felt so good too!

Beth

Beth from the Funny Farm said...

Oh.. and give that to someone who REALLY WANTS IT... NOT ME!

:-))

AutoSysGene said...

Wow, looks like you got a box full of booty there!!

How nice of you to donate and give the coupons to your brother.

Kitty said...

I'm leaving a comment, but don't enter me in the giveaway - hell, I have enough bright plastic 'stuff' of my own, without getting more from other people. No offence intended.

Just wanted to say 'good for you' ... I find it somewhat 'typical' of McDonald's that they feel the way to say 'sorry' is with toys. I'm probably just a cynical old witch, but there you go - I'll live with it.

Cool post. x

ewe are here said...

I just want to comment to say that I'm glad they at least apologized and tried to 'fix things', even it meant sending you lots of plastic crap that you don't need.... although the Wizard of Oz crap is actually pretty cool looking.

But no. I can resist. Don't enter me in the drawing... or if you do, donate it with the rest of the pile. ;-)

ewe are here said...

I just want to comment to say that I'm glad they at least apologized and tried to 'fix things', even it meant sending you lots of plastic crap that you don't need.... although the Wizard of Oz crap is actually pretty cool looking.

But no. I can resist. Don't enter me in the drawing... or if you do, donate it with the rest of the pile. ;-)

Jenifer said...

None for me thanks...but I do want to say that it is a lovely idea to spread the McLove.

kay said...

ah! McDonald's thinks the way to your heart is through your arteries and your toybox! that was nice that she sent those to you. but kinda strange too.

we don't need another toy. if i win donate them for me!

Laural Dawn said...

Hi!
I don't need any of the toys. But ... if you are going to donate them to a women's shelter, can I suggest auctioning the full sets on e-bay and donating the profits?
There are some MAJOR collectors out there, and you may actually make it more worthwhile.
Or not. Now that I type that out it sounds like a lot of work. But if you're into e-bay...

Bea said...

Wizard of Oz please!

Claremont First Ward said...

What a wonderful thing for you to do.............

caramama said...

"it just feels a little dodgy to me that I should actually profit from an unfortunate incident when all I really wanted was an apology..."

This is one of the many reasons you are so fabulous!

I think my little one would enjoy the Shrek set. So I'm in for that, please. :-)

Gabriel said...

My daughter would love the "Shrek" ones... :-)

I found the whole story about McDonald's very interesting, to the point I've been sharing your posts on my online reader (this meaning whoever is interested goes directly to your blog, not mine).

Hope you don't mind, because I don't remember having told you before...

erin said...

Eli is all about the Ninja Turtles right now. He even made himself a raphael mask at his birthday party. Sorry I have been comment frigid lately. I promise I am reading ...Every.Single.Word! It's also nice to see someone taking responsibility. That's a lot of loot!

Anonymous said...

My son would love the TNMT (turtles)!! I am not sure if you caught the post where I tossed a poor turtle out the window..LOL

Congrats on all the gifts.. but I think the apology was the best part.. :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your generosity. My kid would love the Shrek set. I've never won anything. Let's see how this goes!!!

Karen MEG said...

Wow, that's a lot of Happy Meal treasures!! I know I shouldn't be throwing my hat into the ring, but the girlie would love the Wizard of Oz set. That way I could just slip her a toy in lieu of an actual greasy meal. It may work in theory, anyway LOL!

kat said...

Yay Lori and Yay to you for giving them away to a lucky kid.

Melissa said...

That is really a great thing to do. All you wanted was an apology got it and you are happy. And now with the extra stuff you are going to help others! Really really sweet of you!

Kat said...

Wow! That was really nice of her to send all of that out. Some people collect those things!
Way to pay it forward!
But please, do not enter me in the drawing. If I get anymore of those freaking toys from McDonalds I am gonna have to get a bigger house. Ack!

krissy said...

your so sweet! I love the idea of giving them to a domestic violence shelter! Kudo's to you!

jennwa said...

I would have never imagined that McDonald's would be this sorry.
My boys would love the Turtles and my girls would love the Wizard of Oz. It is very nice of you to share.

Andrea said...

We don't really need any more toys either...BUT -- who can say no to free SHREK toys?!? My girls would LOVE them!

And now I'm curious about the incident that started this all. I'll have to read the link you provided and get all caught up!

Jennifer said...

Don't enter me -- my kids would love it but I shudder at the thought of more plastic crap (even fun, free stuff!) -- but I'm commenting anyway to say: YOU ROCK. What a fun thing to do!

Anonymous said...

That is so sweet of you to be giving these toys away.

I do this about once a year. I pack up all the McDonald's, Burger King, etc. toys and send them to a school so that the teachers can put them in their treasure chest for the kids to pull from when they've been good (let someone else trip over them - *Wicked.Evil.Grin*)

Have fun with this contest!

painted maypole said...

ooooo - MQ and I would have a ball with the Wizard of Oz set.

Tania said...

I'm not after the toys, but I just caught up on this whole episode and just wanted to tell you that you rock.

Zoe said...

ok. my kids would care less...but i LOVE the wizard of oz.

John-Michael said...

YOU INSPIRE! YOU STIR! YOU THRILL! YOU DELIGHT! Y O U R O C K !!!!!

I absolutely and unabashedly LOVE YOU!!! And your "minimum wage is incentive enough to sacrifice compassion and common sense on the altar of rigid corporate dogma." is one of the BEST EVER lines summarizing current corporate values that I have seen.

I surely am glad that I know you.

Lisa said...

My girls would completely go ya-ya bananas over those Wizard of Oz dolls. They have the Dorothy & Witch (which means we had McDonald's twice during that chunk of toys), but they'd love the rest of the set!!!!

Eternal Sunshine said...

Oooh, that's a tough one. THe little guys would want the "Mutant Engine Turtles", but most Happy Meal toys in our house get stolen by Budman and taken to work with him in which case, he'd probably rather have Shrek...

LOL! Do I think of my darling children or my beloved husband?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

Michelle Olsen Sasak said...

Definitely a gesture of goodwill on the part of the manager. I'm glad she is trying to make it right. You've chosen a great way to disperse everything. Don't enter me to win a set though, please. My mom is a McDonald's hostess, and we have had every Happy Meal toy ever made (although I do give a box full away every 6 months or so, they keep coming every Wednesday)...lol

Joanna said...

Wow. I had to back read to get caught up. That's freaky. Glad they apologized, amazed that there was an actual need to do so.
I'll pass on the toys. We are finally beyond that stage - thank God!

Heather said...

Okay, so my kids don't really need any more of that junk but I can't see a giveaway and not enter. It's just not possible.

So I'd go for the Wizard of Oz. But my kids would like any of them actually.

kittenpie said...

OMG either the Shrek set or the Wizard of Oz would make AWESOME lbrary display materials! I would luuurve one of them.

And hey, good on them for the follow-through, hey? It's nice to see a big corporation like that try and step up in whatever way they can.

Betsy Mae said...

seriously? i am just getting caught up on my bloggy reading and it's literally minutes from the deadline. normally i would pass (except for books) BUT Mouse bugged and bugged me to go to McDonald's so she could get the Wizard of Oz dolls...but since my kids don't actually eat McDonalds (I swear it's true) they don't get the treats....so if you would please enter me into the draw I would appreciate it.

Betsy Mae said...

seriously? i am just getting caught up on my bloggy reading and it's literally minutes from the deadline. normally i would pass (except for books) BUT Mouse bugged and bugged me to go to McDonald's so she could get the Wizard of Oz dolls...but since my kids don't actually eat McDonalds (I swear it's true) they don't get the treats....so if you would please enter me into the draw I would appreciate it.

Betsy Mae said...

seriously? i am just getting caught up on my bloggy reading and it's literally minutes from the deadline. normally i would pass (except for books) BUT Mouse bugged and bugged me to go to McDonald's so she could get the Wizard of Oz dolls...but since my kids don't actually eat McDonalds (I swear it's true) they don't get the treats....so if you would please enter me into the draw I would appreciate it.