Winner of the McDonald's $25 gift card & coupons!

The winner of our last weekly Father's Day Friday McDonald's giveaway is:

Every Friday in June, we celebrated dads with Father's Day Friday giveaways hosted by McDonald's!  Last week, we profiled two McDonald's owner/operators who are also dads.

When you have a father and son combo who has worked alongside each other for years, you know their relationship is built with love, trust, and a little bit of magic.

Father/son team, Fred and John Huebner, have been in the business of making customers smile for a combined 56 years. Fred Huebner, father to John (35) and Frederick (32), started working at McDonald’s as a crew person during the summer after high school. His education continued as he studied to become an accountant, but soon realized his passion for working with people was his ultimate career. He never left McDonald’s, recognizing it as an amazing opportunity for a lifetime career.

Fred has now been an owner/operator in central North Carolina for over 29 years alongside his wife, Doris Huebner. “My wife and I love the freedom that being an owner/operator provides. But even more so, the ability to be able to help the community and schools in the towns where we have restaurants through community service and donations.” Fred has also served as a member of the board of trustees for Ronald McDonald House Charities of North Carolina, most recently as President of the board, and on the global board of Ronald McDonald House Charities. In his free time, Fred enjoys traveling with Doris, spending time at their lake house, and helping coach his grandchildren’s sports teams.

Growing up in the McDonald’s business allowed John to see firsthand the hard work and dedication it required to build a strong business. He joined his father’s company in 2002 and eventually became an owner/operator six years ago. Working with his wife, Nikki, they have operated stores in Raleigh, while they continue to grow a family at home with their children Lauchlin (8), Davitt (3), and Stratton (1).

John’s work in the community has been an example to the entire McDonald’s organization. He serves as a member of the Chamber of Commerce in Garner, Dunn, Benson, and Four Oaks, as well as serving as a coach for Upward Basketball, a community league in the Triangle that encourages youth to develop into total athletes – mentally, athletically, spiritually and socially.

When tragedy struck in their family in 2010 with the loss of John’s young daughter Chyler, they banded together to give back to other families in need. They raised over $200,000 to help build and dedicate the Ronald McDonald House Family Room at WakeMed in Chyler’s name, providing a place of respite for families with a child who is hospitalized. The family continued to honor Chyler, raising $75,000 for the construction of a new playground at Hudson Memorial Presbyterian Church in Raleigh. Her memory lives on today in the Raleigh community as well as in the McDonald’s organization through this extraordinary family.

There is no better way to learn a business than to grow up with it all around you. Wade Dixon, President of Dixon Foods Group, Inc. Franchise of McDonald’s for 26 years, had a first-hand seat as his father taught him what it meant to work hard to make your dream a reality. Wade’s dedication to McDonald’s is a tribute to his father and all that he accomplished in his career.

Wade now resides in Garner, N.C. and serves his 22 restaurants across North Carolina alongside his wife Dana Stephenson. He is also a father of his own next-generation McDonald’s employees, Victoria Dixon (21), Alex Dixon (18), and Karis Christopher (6). It’s easy to spot Wade across a room by the look of happiness on his face from living a life that fulfills his destiny. “I love serving my employees and customers and putting smiles on their faces,” states Wade, when asked what he likes best about his job.

Wade has also taken a personal interest in providing support for families of critically ill children, through Ronald McDonald House Charities of N.C. He serves on the Board of Directors for both Ronald McDonald House Charities of North Carolina and the Ronald McDonald House of Eastern North Carolina. In his free time, Dixon enjoys spending family time on Lake Gaston and playing drums!