Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger-relief organization, General Mills, SUBWAY® and NBC's"The Biggest Loser," today announced that they were awarded PR News' Nonprofit PR Award in the category of Corporate and Nonprofit Partnerships for their Pound For Pound Challenge campaign, which helped Americans lose weight while providing help to Americans struggling with hunger. The highly coveted Nonprofit PR Awards are bestowed annually to celebrate outstanding achievements and to put a spotlight on best practices in the PR industry.
Presented on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 during an awards luncheon at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., the PR News Nonprofit Awards Program is solely dedicated to honoring the most talented communicators and teams in the nonprofit sector. The Nonprofit PR Awards are presented by the leading publication PR News and are judged by a blue-chip panel of communications experts.
The Pound For Pound Challenge encouraged individuals to participate in the campaign by signing up at www.pfpchallenge.com to pledge their weight loss goals. For every pound pledged, partners donated the equivalent of one pound of food to Feeding America. More than 3.5 million pounds were pledged.
Through the donations for weight loss, partners helped secure millions of pounds of groceries for Americans in need.
"This campaign was a significant landmark for us in the cause-marketing arena," said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America."The campaign raised funds both nationally and locally; reached a record-setting audience of more than 17 million homes during"The Biggest Loser's" season finale; and promoted the Feeding America message on more than 150 million General Mills foods, including Yoplait Light®, Cheerios®, Fiber One® and Green Giant®."
The Corporate and Nonprofit Partnership category of PR News' Nonprofit PR Awards recognizes outstanding alliances with a corporate entity in one year's time, with an eye towards exceeding the stated mission of the partnership.
"Our partnership with Feeding America, SUBWAY® and"The Biggest Loser" exceeded our expectations," said John Haugen, Vice President of Health & Wellness for General Mills."We're working together to help people lose weight and also generate awareness and support for those in their communities struggling with hunger. Plans are already underway to launch a second year of the Pound For Pound Challenge with additional companies approaching us hoping to increase the program's reach by offering their support."
"The Pound For Pound Challenge marks our first and primary cause-marketing campaign in partnership with a national nonprofit organization and major corporate donor since the debut of our reality TV show,"The Biggest Loser," said Mark Koops, Managing Director of Reveille."Our combined forces allowed us to shed light and make a positive impact on two very sobering problems: obesity and hunger in America. We can and will beat these issues by working together to create a healthier America."
The increased demand for food-assistance among America's food banks coupled with the growing number of partners eager to make a difference has led to the launch of a second year of the Challenge to be announced during the show's Season 8 Finale on December 8, 2009. Feeding America, General Mills, SUBWAY®, NBC's"The Biggest Loser" and a team of new partners will officially kick off the Challenge once again during Season 9 of"The Biggest Loser," which premieres January 5, 2010.
The partnership among Feeding America, General Mills, SUBWAY® and"The Biggest Loser" was one of six other finalists that were nominated to win the PR News Nonprofit PR Award in the category of Corporate and Nonprofit Partnerships.
Other finalists included: Entergy Corporation and Teach for America; Galloway Group & Saunders Construction: Building Confidence in Kids; Honeywell, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children & Peppercom: Got 2B Safe; Jiffy Lube, AHA & Cone: Maintenance Partners for Life; Qorvis Communications, Keep America Beautiful & Phillip Morris USA: Cigarette Litter Prevention Program; and, Yum! Brands & United Nations World Food Programme: World Hunger Relief Movement.
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About Feeding America
Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 5.3 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on X.com.
General Mills
One of the world's leading food companies, General Mills operates in more than 100 countries and markets more than 100 consumer brands, including Cheerios, H�agen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Progresso, Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills had fiscal 2009 global net sales of US$15.9 billion, including the company's $1.2 billion proportionate share of joint venture net sales.
About SUBWAY® Restaurants
The SUBWAY® restaurant chain is the world's largest submarine sandwich franchise, with more than 31,500 locations in 91 countries. Headquartered in Milford, Connecticut, and with regional offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Brisbane, Miami, and Singapore, the SUBWAY® chain was co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in 1965. The SUBWAY® brand was ranked the number one Franchise Opportunity and the number one Global Franchise Opportunity in the 2009 edition of Entrepreneur magazine's"Annual Franchise 500®" survey, an honor that the SUBWAY® chain has received 16 times in the past 22 years. For more information about the SUBWAY® restaurant chain, please visit www.subway.com or www.subwayfreshbuzz.com . SUBWAY® is a registered trademark of Doctor's Associates Inc.
About"The Biggest Loser"
The first reality series where everybody "loses," The Biggest Loser challenges and encourages overweight contestants to shed pounds in a safe and recommended manner through comprehensive diet and exercise as they compete for a grand prize of $250,000. Hosted by Alison Sweeney (Days of our Lives), the series provides the contestants with challenges, temptations, weigh-ins and eliminations until the final contestant remains to claim the title of "the biggest loser." Each team works out under the supervision of professional trainers Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper. The Biggest Loser is a production of Reveille LLC, 25/7 Productions and 3 Ball Productions.
"The Biggest Loser" series has become a worldwide hit airing in over 90 countries and produced in 25 countries. Since its debut in 2004, The Biggest Loser has also grown to become a standalone health and lifestyle brand by developing tools and products inspired by the show and approved by our doctors and experts. Anchored by its online diet and exercise subscription-based extension of the show, Biggestloserclub.com, The Biggest Loser Meal Plan, The New York Times best-selling books series, best-selling fitness DVD series, line of appliances, fitness equipment, protein supplements and countless other health and lifestyle based products, The Biggest Loser consumer products program has generated over $50 million in spending with presence at more than 25,000 major retailers to date.