Jesus Castaneda was thrilled to meet his role model Sunday, the man who introduced him to the world of soccer.

“I started playing soccer because of him,” said the 12-year-old Santa Maria resident.

Jose Francisco “Kikin” Fonseca Guzman of the Mexican National Soccer team visited Santa Maria Sunday, in partnership with McDonald's and the company's balanced active lifestyle initiative, which encourages children to eat healthy and exercise regularly.

With soccer balls and jerseys ready for autographs, hundreds of fans greeted the sports star as he made his entrance at the Hagerman Sports Complex.

“I came to Santa Maria because of the big Latino community that likes soccer,” Guzman said through a translator.

“I'm very happy with the greeting, it was very warm.”

Bringing such an icon to promote healthy eating is really important for McDonald's, so local kids can see the message in action, said Max Gallegos, director of marketing for McDonalds' West Division.

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“We wanted to bring somebody our customers are fanatical about,” he said. “He's our face, and we want to bring it to life.”

McDonalds' balanced eating program, “It's what I eat and what I do,” focuses on encouraging children to make smart choices for their daily meals and lead active lifestyles.

Castaneda said he has incorporated this message in his life since he started following Guzman's progress on the Mexican soccer team.

Another huge fan waited patiently behind the gates for his chance to meet Guzman and get an autograph.

“I'm just so excited right now,” said Jesse Estrada, 13, of Santa Maria.

“I like him because he plays soccer.”

Randi Block can be reached at 347-4580 or rblock@santamariatimes.com.

March 20, 2006