News : We just had to ask.. Ronald McDonald

Ronald McDonald answers questions from Vinton Today during visit to town Thursday.

Since the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1966, Ronald McDonald has been representing McDonald's restaurants and entertaining children all over the world.

The famous clown also leads the Ronald McDonald Foundation, which helps families of sick children to have housing near their children's hospitals, and other services.

Ronald visited Vinton Thursday morning, where he spoke to children at the Vinton Library about the importance of reading and taking care of books. His appearance is part of the Summer Reading Program.

As Vinton Today has done with other celebrities, we asked Ronald McDonald a few of our silly questions before his show at the library.

Q: How do you keep the Hamburglar from stealing all the food at the Vinton McDonald's?

A. I can't. I think I saw the deputies arresting him here today.

Q. If you were to get a traffic citation, it would probably be for?

A. (Laughter) Holding up traffic. I have never gotten a ticket, but I have held up traffic many times.

Q. What was your first job?

A. This one.

Q. One place in the world you would really like to visit?

A. I have been to just about every place in the world, but there is one place I really want to go to again: Keystone, Iowa. I am going to the library there after lunch.

Q. Tell us about your first pet?

A. Ellie the Elephant.

Q. What is the strangest thing you do at work that is not part of your official job description?

A. Polish my shoes.

Q. Tell us about your favorite chair.

A. My favorite chair: I am the chair of the Ronald McDonald House, my favorite charity.

Q. What happens to the missing socks in the laundry?

A. They go to a third dimension. I will be using one of those missing socks in my show today.

Q. What is the best fast food sandwich ever? A. The classic McDonald's hamburger.

Q. What is one thing you remember your parents telling you?

A. My dad always said.. oh I don't remember. My mom said, "You can't tell the difference between someone who does not read and someone who cannot read."

Q. What book have you not read, but want or need to?

A. The teen book "Abduction." It's on my desk at home now.

Q. If you had children, what advice would you give them?

A. Always leave 'em smiling.