Online Polls Open Today at FeedingDreams.com; Vote For Your Favorite African-American Community Champion And Help Support Their Charitable Efforts And Powerful Work

(BLACK PR WIRE) MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Following on the heels of last year's inaugural Feeding Dreams™ initiative to celebrate everyday heroes who are doing extraordinary things to improve communities, General Mills is proudly serving up seconds and expanding its reach to help recognize African-Americans who are selflessly volunteering to make their communities better in four southern cities.

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/generalmills/39425/

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090807/NY58795LOGO )

The successful grassroots program highlights 12 Community Champions who invest their time, energy and talents to improve African-American communities at the local level. Their compassion for their neighbors is paired with a deep-rooted passion for creating healthier communities; and their service initiatives range from youth mentoring to volunteer training to creating support networks for troubled individuals.

The Feeding Dreams campaign launches in Birmingham, Charlotte, Memphis and Norfolk now through December. In addition to the impactful community relations component, the integrated multicultural marketing campaign includes digital, public relations, event sampling, in-market advertising and retail visibility. Favorite General Mills brands supporting Feeding Dreams include: Honey Nut Cheerios?, Yoplait?, Grands!? Biscuits, Nature Valley? Granola Nut Clusters and Betty Crocker?.


Meet the Champions
At FeedingDreams.com, visitors are encouraged to vote once per day for their favorite Community Champion. The individual who garners the most votes in each city will receive a $5,000 grant to benefit the charity of his or her choice, followed by the second- and third-place champions who will receive $2,000 and $1,000 grants respectively. The site will feature original photography and compelling stories of each Community Champion. All 12 nominees will receive a $500 check card as acknowledgement of their individual commitment to community service.

"Feeding Dreams demonstrates our commitment to African-Americans, their families and their neighbors living in these vibrant American cities," said Rodolfo Rodriguez, multicultural marketing director, General Mills. "We're proud to support and celebrate our 2009 Feeding Dreams Community Champions who are making extraordinary strides to improve the lives of so many. We encourage everyone to show their support by visiting our web site and voting daily for their favorite champion."

FeedingDreams.com also features portraits and profiles of several of last year's Feeding Dreams Champions: Kerri Pruitt of Birmingham; Wavey Williams of Charlotte; and Sandy Bordueax of Memphis. Nationally acclaimed photographer Michael Cunningham captured the images of these 2008 champions, and the imagery is highlighted on the web site. Cunningham is known for his mastery behind the lens and has published several coffee table books that celebrate African-American women including Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats and Queens: Portraits of Black Women and their Fabulous Hair. In addition, there is a 10-minute film about each 2008 champion on the web site.

"We’re celebrating a handful of our brightest community stars, our civic engineers. Their shared dream for a better future comes closer to reality with every foster child they reach out to, every homeless family they support and every person in peril they believe in," said Susan L. Taylor, Feeding Dreams spokesperson and editor-in-chief emeritus of Essence Magazine and founder of the national Cares Mentoring Movement. "I am inspired by their leadership and energized by their work. These champions show that with vision, passion and a plan, we can restore our communities and change our world."

About Feeding Dreams™
Feeding Dreams, General Mills multicultural platform to support African-American consumers, recognizes and celebrates local heroes who have devoted their lives to: helping others; nurturing their communities; and charting a better future. In its second year, Feeding Dreams taps top minority-owned businesses to help create and implement the campaign. Visit www.FeedingDreams.com for complete details on the initiative.

About General Mills, Inc.
One of the world's leading food companies, General Mills operates in over 100 countries and markets more than 100 consumer brands, including Cheerios, Haagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Progresso, Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A., 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. Visit www.generalmills.com.

Feeding Dreams, Honey Nut Cheerios, Grands!, Nature Valley & Betty Crocker are trademarks of General Mills.

YOPLAIT is a registered trademark of YOPLAIT Marques Internationales SAS, France, used under license.