Old Town McDonald’s to help fight cancer

OLD TOWN – Teal blue will be the color of the hour 5-6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, when the McDonald’s restaurant in Old Town attempts to break a drive-through service window record of more than 1,000 served. Nearly 100 volunteers from the community and McDonald’s restaurants in the area will be on hand to serve participants meals on the run.

Teal is the theme color of Ovations for the Cure, a nonprofit organization based in Massachusetts that focuses on research, patient treatment and awareness of ovarian cancer.

It is partnering with McDonald’s in the Teal at the Wheel Drive Thru Challenge. The event will take place at seven East Coast McDonald’s locations, including Old Town, the only McDonald’s in Maine to host the drive through event.

The Teal at the Wheel Drive Thru Challenge seeks to raise funds for ovarian cancer research and to set a new record by serving more than 1,000 vehicles with quarter-pounders in a one-hour period. The Old Town McDonald’s, 993 Stillwater Ave., hopes to exceed that goal.

Linda and Doug Quagliaroli, owner-operators of the Old Town McDonald’s, said they were looking forward to the event and the opportunity to give back to the community.

“We’ll have three drive through lanes set up,” said Linda Quagiaroli. But the bulk of the driving will be done in golf carts, she said.

Those who wish to participate in the event will be bused from a University of Maine parking lot to the McDonald’s on Stillwater Avenue where they will hop on a golf cart, drive through and pick up their meal. Cyr Bus Line is donating bus services and the university is donating the parking lot space to the cause.

Ovations will sell advance tickets at $5 each for the Teal at the Wheel Drive Thru Challenge at all seven participating McDonald’s locations, including the Old Town location. Tickets also may be purchased in advance online at www.ovationsforthecure.org/teal.

The Qualiarolis chose to participate in the fundraising event because they know what it means to deal with a cancer diagnosis. Doug Quagliaroli was diagnosed and treated for esophageal cancer in past months.

“Esophageal cancer has the same survival rate as ovarian cancer – 15 percent,” Linda said. “So we know firsthand what that’s like. My husband also has received treatment in Boston at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Dana Farber Institute, which support the work of Ovations for the Cure.”

Handling the appetites of such a huge crowd will come as no surprise to the Quagliarolis.

“For the last 22 years we have fed 2,000 Special Olympians in one day at the University of Maine. So we have had practice,” Linda said.

The Teal at the Wheel Drive Thru Challenge will take place rain or shine. For more information about the challenge or advance tickets, call Linda Quagliaroli at 990-3220, ext. 12.