Contest Will Recognize Individuals and Raise Funds for Share Our Strength®

OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 18, 2009-- The ConAgra Foods Foundation and Sandra Lee, home and food expert, in partnership with Share Our Strength®, are launching the Champions Against Child Hunger contest to recognize those who are doing great work to help end child hunger in communities across the country while raising funds for Share Our Strength®. Sandra Lee, who is the National Ambassador of Share Our Strength’s Operation Frontline® program, announced the contest on Good Morning America on Nov. 16.

“I personally understand what a difference one person can have in helping to end child hunger,” said Sandra Lee. “Often times these efforts go unnoticed, but the ConAgra Foods Foundation is providing an opportunity to recognize those individuals committed to fighting child hunger.”

“Nearly 17 million kids in America struggle with hunger¹, and there are remarkable individuals all over the country who regularly give their time and effort to end child hunger in their own neighborhoods,” said Kori Reed, executive director, ConAgra Foods Foundation. “It takes more than food to fight hunger, it takes a champion. The Champions Against Child Hunger Contest is our way of recognizing those giving their time and inspiring others to make a difference.”

Beginning Nov. 18, 2009, individuals may submit nominations at ChampionsAgainstChildHunger.org. Contest entries require a short essay focusing on why the nominee is a Champion Against Child Hunger, recognizing his or her efforts to help end child hunger in his or her community or about how the nominee personally overcame child hunger. Prizes will be awarded to the top five nominees and a grand prize winner, to be chosen by visitors who will vote online. ConAgra Foods Foundation has committed an incremental donation of up to $100,000 to Share Our Strength based on the number of entries to the contest and votes cast to select the Champion.

“Engaging communities to work on a local level is crucial to ending child hunger,” said Patricia Nicklin, managing director at Share Our Strength. “The Champions Against Child Hunger contest will give recognition where it is deserved and also serve as an inspiration to others to join the fight against hunger in their own neighborhoods and towns.”

To learn more about the contest, please visit ChampionsAgainstChildHunger.org.

About the Champions Against Child Hunger Contest

The contest kicks off on Nov. 18, 2009 and nominations will be accepted through Jan. 22, 2010. Applicants can submit a short essay, nomination information, and photo and will have the opportunity to either nominate themselves or nominate another individual deserving recognition. Nominees and others may also submit a video telling their story at www.YouTube.com/ConAgraFoundation. The videos are optional and not required for contest nominations.

From the pool of submissions, the top five stories will be selected and featured on ChampionsAgainstChildHunger.org for consumers to vote for their favorite story. The story with the most votes will be awarded the grand prize and named as the Champion Against Child Hunger. Each of the top five finalists will receive a small cash prize of $500 as a reward for their advocacy and passion for ending child hunger, and a matching donation of $500 to Share Our Strength or their Feeding America food bank of choice. The grand prize winner will receive a trip to New York City and a cash prize of $1,500, as well as a donation of $5,000 to Share Our Strength or their Feeding America food bank of choice.

ConAgra Foods Foundation is committing an incremental donation to Share Our Strength, up to $100,000. The incremental donation includes $10 for each submission received (up to $20,000 through Jan. 22), and $1 per vote cast for the finalists (up to $80,000 through March 19).

The grand prize winner will be announced on March 25, 2010.

About ConAgra Foods Foundation

The ConAgra Foods Foundation’s Nourish Today, Flourish Tomorrow platform is dedicated to raise awareness of the more than 12 million children in America who are at risk of hunger and don't have enough food to live active, healthful lives, and to aggressively pursue sustainable solutions in the fight against child hunger. The Foundation is committed to building a community of people who are passionate about ensuring that all kids have access to the food and facts they need to eat nutritiously, live balanced lifestyles, and succeed in school and life. ConAgra Foods Foundation invests in national and local partnerships with high-impact, not-for-profit organizations, such as Feeding America, that take an innovative approach to addressing needs in the core areas of hunger and nutrition education. For more information, please visit www.nourishkidstoday.org.

About Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade

SLSH Enterprises, Inc. is a multi-media publishing company that provides simple solutions for dramatic results in all areas of home life. Company founder and CEO, Sandra Lee, is recognized as an internationally-acclaimed home and food expert. With 20 books to her credit Sandra Lee is a New York Times best-selling author; host of the top-rated, Emmy-nominated TV show “Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee” and “Sandra’s Money Saving Meals” on Food Network; and Editor-in-Chief of the national magazine, Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade. For more information on Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade, please visit www.SandraLee.com or www.Facebook.com/SandraLee.

About Share Our Strength

Share Our Strength® is the leading national organization working to make sure no kid in America grows up hungry. By weaving together a net of community groups, activists and food programs, Share Our Strength catches children at risk of hunger and ensures they have nutritious food where they live, learn and play. Working closely with the culinary industry, Share Our Strength creates engaging, pioneering programs like Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation®, the nation's premier culinary benefit; Share Our Strength's Great American Bake Sale®, a national grassroots effort; Share Our Strength's A Tasteful Pursuit®, a touring dinner series; Share Our Strength's Great American Dine Out®, a week-long program involving thousands of restaurants nationwide; and Share Our Strength's Operation Frontline®, a cooking-based nutrition education program. Visit Strength.org and learn more about our goal of ending childhood hunger in America by 2015.

¹ According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (USDA) report released Nov. 16, 2009.

Source: ConAgra Foods, Inc.

Fleishman-Hillard / ConAgra Foods Foundation
Jennifer Thomas, 312-751-3525
jennifer.thomas@fleishman.com