Share Our Strength and the ConAgra Foods Foundation Encourage Consumers to Choose the Country’s Champion Against Child Hunger

The ConAgra Foods® Foundation, in partnership with Sandra Lee, home and food expert, and Share Our Strength® have announced five finalists in the Champions Against Child Hunger contest. The finalists were chosen from an outstanding pool of nominees and were selected for their inspiring work to help end child hunger.

To select the single "Champion Against Child Hunger,” consumers are encouraged to visit ChampionsAgainstChildHunger.org to vote once per day until March 18. For every vote cast, ConAgra Foods Foundation will donate $1 to Share Our Strength (up to $80,000). During the nomination period, ConAgra Foods committed $20,000 to Share Our Strength and will donate up to $80,000 more based on the number of votes received for the five finalists.

"Each finalist has tackled the issue of child hunger in ways that are unique to the communities where they live and work,” said Chris Kircher, president, ConAgra Foods Foundation. "The five finalists embody the mission of the ConAgra Foods Foundation, and they are truly passionate about fighting hunger and ensuring that all kids have access to the food they need to live active, healthful lives.”

The stories of the following Champions Against Child Hunger finalists are featured on the Champions Against Child Hunger Web site (ChampionsAgainstChildHunger.org) and the ConAgra Foods Foundation Facebook fan page (facebook.com/ConAgraFoodsFoundation):

• Charlie Kozlesky of Columbus, Ohio, who oversees the Children’s Hunger Alliance’s statewide Nutrition Programs in Ohio;
• Nancy Pope of Albuquerque, N.M., who wrote the 2010 New Mexico Plan to End Hunger;
• Tom Ramsey of Austin, Texas, founder of Celebration of Love in Austin;
• Eileen Rasnick of Omaha, Neb., who runs the largest Summer Feeding Program site in the state of Nebraska; and
• Diane Reeder of Kingston, N.Y., founder and executive director of the Queens Galley.

Consumers can read about the accomplishments of each of the finalists and then vote on either page for their favorite story once per day until March 19, 2010. The finalist with the most votes will be awarded the grand prize and named the Champion Against Child Hunger.

"Nearly 17 million kids in America struggle with hunger, but the Champions Against Child Hunger are changing that,” said Patricia Nicklin, managing director of Share Our Strength. "We hope that each story serves as an example to others and encourages more Americans to share their strengths to end child hunger in their own neighborhoods.”

Sandra Lee, the National Ambassador of Share Our Strength’s Operation Frontline® program, kicked off the contest in partnership with the ConAgra Foods Foundation and Share Our Strength in November. Operation Frontline® is a groundbreaking chef-led nutrition education program that teaches low-income families how to prepare nutritious foods on a budget.

"I am so touched by the efforts of the finalists and their quest to end child hunger in their communities,” said Sandra Lee. "Oftentimes hard work goes unnoticed, so we are honored to be able to tell each story.”

Each of the top five finalists will receive a 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 food bank of choice. The grand prize winner, as selected by consumer votes, will be named as the Champion Against Child Hunger and 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 food bank of choice. The grand prize winner will be announced on March 25, 2010.

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

About the Champions Against Child Hunger Nominees

Charlie Kozlesky, Columbus, Ohio
Charlie oversees the Children’s Hunger Alliance’s statewide Nutrition Programs in Ohio. Last year, under his leadership, the agency reached an additional 14,000 children with the school lunch program and 23,486 children with the school breakfast program.

Nancy Pope, Albuquerque, N.M.
Nancy Pope wrote the 2010 New Mexico Plan to End Hunger four years ago when she learned that New Mexico ranked as the most food insecure state in the country. Since then, Nancy has built a team of public and private partners who fed 7,000 children in 2009.

Tom Ramsey, Austin, Texas
Tom, who experienced hunger as a child, is the founder of Celebration of Love, an Austin-based organization that assists thousands of families throughout the year by providing food and resources to help them get back on their feet. Celebration of Love feeds more than 200 families each Friday and hosts multiple annual events.

Eileen Rasnick, Omaha, Neb.
Eileen Rasnick runs the largest Summer Feeding Program site in the state of Nebraska. Over the past 10 years, Eileen has provided more than 238,296 breakfast and lunch meals to children that would not have otherwise had the opportunity to eat these meals. Today, the average weekday attendance for the Summer Feeding Program is more than 375 children.

Diane Reeder, Kingston, N.Y.
Diane Reeder is the founder and executive director of the Queens Galley. The Queens Galley is open for three meals a day, 365 days a year, and serves more than 9,000 meals a month. Diane also brought Operation Frontline to the Hudson Valley and supports programs that show people how to make nutritious meals on a limited budget.

About ConAgra Foods Foundation
The ConAgra Foods Foundation, through its Nourish Today, Flourish Tomorrow platform, is dedicated to raising awareness of the nearly 17 million children in America who are at risk of hunger and don't have enough food to live active, healthful lives. It aggressively pursues sustainable solutions in the fight against child hunger. And 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 while living balanced lifestyles and succeeding 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 or www.facebook.com/ConAgraFoodsFoundation. The ConAgra Foods Foundation is funded solely by ConAgra Foods, www.conagrafoods.com.

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. Sandra Lee is Editor-in-Chief of the national magazine, Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade, host of the top-rated, Emmy-nominated TV show "Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee” and "Sandra’s Money Saving Meals” on Food Network; has 20 books to her credit; is a New York Times best-selling author, and is recipient of the President's Volunteerism Award and the Ellis Island Medal of Freedom. 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.