General Mills Donates 35,900 Pounds of Vegetables
June 10, 2010
OKLAHOMA CITY - Today, General Mills donated a truckload of Green Giant Sweet Peas and Cut Green Beans to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, which will provide 27,620 meals to hungry Oklahomans this summer. This donation was made possible through a partnership with NBC’s The Biggest Loser and Feeding America in the Pound For Pound Challenge.
“When people begin to cut costs, often the first thing to go is vegetables,” said Rodney Bivens, executive director of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. “We are extremely grateful for this donation and for the support from General Mills.”
During the season finale of the television show The Biggest Loser, General Mills pledged that one can of Progresso Soup or one can of Green Giant vegetables will be donated to Feeding America, for every pound pledged to the Pound For Pound Challenge. Nationwide, Food Banks will receive nearly 5.9 million cans of product.
For every pound pledged at PFPChallenge.com, the Pound For Pound Challenge will donate 14 cents to Feeding America, who will then distribute the donations to Food Banks across the country, including the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. So far, Oklahomans have pledged to lose nearly 50,500 pounds in the Pound for Pound Challenge.
Residents can still pledge to lose weight until June 30, which in turn will raise donations for the Regional Food Bank. Currently, more than $7,000 will be donated, which will provide nearly 50,000 meals to hungry Oklahomans. Last year, Pound for Pound Challenge participants raised $3,700 for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.
The Pound For Pound Challenge, sponsored by The Biggest Loser, Feeding America, General Mills, Subway, 24 Hour Fitness and The Kroger Co., is designed to help deliver millions of pounds of groceries to local food banks across the U.S.
Last month, the Regional Food Bank distributed more than three million pounds of food. Because food distribution has increased dramatically in the last twelve months, the Regional Food Bank is seeking additional volunteers to help pack food donations.
To join the weight loss challenge and help fight hunger in Oklahoma, visit www.PFPChallenge.com. To make a donation to the Regional Food Bank, or to volunteer, call 405.972.1111 or visit regionalfoodbank.org.
The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma is a private, 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that acts as a link through which the food industry and community may donate food and other goods. The products are then distributed to nearly 700 schools and charitable feeding programs in 53 central and western Oklahoma counties. In the last fiscal year, the Food Bank distributed 28.5 million pounds of food and product to help the charitable community effectively feed people in need. Since its inception in 1980, the Regional Food Bank has distributed more than 352 million pounds of food to feed Oklahoma’s hungry. Visit regionalfoodbank.org to see the new counter that tracks the pounds and meals distributed every second.
