The McDonald’s Family Restaurants of Greater Baltimore is pleased to honor Patricia DiLeonardi of Carroll County, a finalist for the Maryland Teacher of the Year Award which recognizes elementary, middle and high school teachers that excel as both instructors and leaders within their communities.

To celebrate DiLeonardi’s accomplishment, McDonald’s hosted a “McTeacher of the Year Night” in her honor on Monday, October 1^st, at the McDonald’s located at 1722 Liberty Road in Eldersburg, MD. Members of Liberty High School and the local Carroll County community gathered to congratulate DiLeonardi while also earning a portion of total sales during the event. McDonald’s matched the amount raised and will be donating $1041 to the Liberty High School. In addition, McDonald’s surprised DiLeonardi with a $500 gift card for school supplies as well as a free McCafé beverage every week for a year.

The McDonald's Family Restaurants of Greater Baltimore will be honoring six additional Teacher of the Year nominees from counties in the Greater Baltimore area with special “McTeacher of the Year” celebrations. The McDonald’s Family Restaurants of Baltimore is thrilled to announce that so far they will be donating $5,791 throughout 6 of the 7 counties with an additional “McTeacher of the Year” fundraising event scheduled for mid-October.

In addition to the McTeacher night events, McDonald's honors Maryland's twenty-four Teachers of the Year nominees as the official sponsor of the Teacher of the Year Annual Cruise and the Teacher of the Year Gala. McDonald’s will be presenting the 2012-2013 Maryland Teacher of the Year winner with an Apple iPad and a $10,000 donation to their school at the Gala on October 5^th. McDonald’s has served as an official sponsor to the program for over 16 years.

“As part of McDonald’s commitment to education and the community, we are thrilled to honor these outstanding individuals for their commitment to the success of all children and their selfless dedication to teaching,” said Christopher Mann, Baltimore McDonald’s Owner/Operator. “These teachers serve as models and inspiration for the entire Maryland family and help to make our communities stronger through education.”