Taste of the NFL's 27th Annual Party with a Purpose Will Be Brought To You By General Mills

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The 27^th annual Party with a Purpose® hosted by Taste of the NFL, a non-profit dedicated to hunger relief, this year will be brought to you by General Mills. The event, which will be held on the eve of Super Bowl LII on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018 at Saint Paul RiverCentre, pairs renowned chefs from the 32 NFL cities with current, Hall of Fame, and alumni players from each of the NFL franchises as they serve over 45,000 tastings for 2,500 guests.

"As a strong advocate for hunger relief, partnering with Taste of the NFL to help end hunger by raising awareness and money is a win-win for us," said Mary Jane Melendez, executive director of the General Mills Foundation. "At General Mills, we believe in supporting impact focused programs and initiatives ? like Taste of the NFL ? to reduce hunger by increasing food security in our communities."

General Mills is also participating in Taste of the NFL's Kick Hunger Challenge, an annual fundraising competition that encourages fans from all 32 NFL markets to raise money for their favorite NFL team's local food bank. For every 52 donations made, the Minnesota Vikings Foundation and the General Mills Foundation will donate funds to provide an additional 552 meals to Minnesota families in need through Second Harvest Heartland.

The philanthropy of General Mills serves the world by combining charitable cash giving with the company's food expertise and employee passion for serving communities. General Mills empowers its employees to strengthen its hometown communities worldwide through volunteerism and grant-making addressing local community needs. In addition to grants, General Mills donates millions of pounds of food each year to foodbanks across America and around the world to help feed hungry families. Since 2010, General Mills food donations have enabled more than 230 million meals for hungry people worldwide.

"We are always grateful for the commitment of our long-term supporters and are honored to have General Mills join us again this year in the fight to end hunger," said Taste of the NFL founder Wayne Kostroski. "Our sponsors provide critical support, making Taste of the NFL's Party with a Purpose event possible through their generosity."

Taste of the NFL has been fundraising, maximizing dollars and heightening awareness for the hunger crisis in the U.S for 27 years. Thanks in part to the commitment of a core group of generous supporters from the world of sports, food, travel and wine, Taste of the NFL has raised over $25 million dollars for food banks and non-profit organizations in the 32 NFL cities, resulting in more than 200 million new meals for Americans in need (many of them children and seniors), who have turned to their local food banks for assistance.

ABOUT TASTE OF THE NFL
Since 1992, the Taste of the NFL (a 501c3 organization) has rallied the country's top chefs and the NFL's greatest players to raise money in support of food banks throughout the United States. To date, Taste of the NFL's programs and events have raised and donated in excess of $25 million to food banks and nonprofit organizations in the 32 NFL cities, resulting in more than 200 million meals for Americans in need (many of them children and seniors), who have turned to their local food banks for assistance. The season long efforts culminate each year with the Taste of the NFL's Party with a Purpose®. Held on the eve of Super Bowl LII on Saturday, February 3, 2018 at Saint Paul RiverCentre, this year's star-studded fundraising event brings together exceptional cuisine, prominent chefs from around the country, NFL players, coaches, legends and more, all to support the fight against hunger. This year's Party with a Purpose is generously supported by the following national sponsors: General Mills (Presenting Sponsor), E. & J. Gallo Winery (Wine Partner), Delta Airlines (Entertainment Presenter), Elior (Welcoming Partner), Ecolab (Chef Host Sponsor), SUPERVALU (Founder's Lounge Host), and PepsiCo (Supporting Partner). US Foods and Verlasso Salmon are the Preferred Product Partners for Taste of the NFL events. For more information on Taste of the NFL's 2017-18 sponsors, please go here. Learn more about Taste of the NFL at www.TasteoftheNFL.com.

ABOUT KICK HUNGER CHALLENGE
The Kick Hunger Challenge is an online-only fundraising campaign spearheaded by Taste of the NFL. This friendly "competition" pits fans from all 32 NFL teams against each other to raise money for food banks in NFL communities nationwide. Throughout the 2017-18 football season, fans will have the opportunity to support one of the 32 NFL teams and directly impact the donation of thousands of meals to food banks in their team's community. Learn more about the Kick Hunger Challenge at www.kickhungerchallenge.com.

ABOUT SECOND HARVEST HEARTLAND
Second Harvest Heartland is one of the nation's largest, most efficient and most innovative food banks. We have created a sustainable support system that provides access to food. Helping hungry neighbors find their next meal?so they can strive at work, in the classroom and in their communities?is what drives Second Harvest Heartland, its partners and supporters.

Second Harvest Heartland was created on October 1, 2001, when Second Harvest Greater Minneapolis and Second Harvest St. Paul joined forces to bring together more than 44 years of combined history and experience to the fight against hunger. More information can be found at www.2harvest.org.

ABOUT GENERAL MILLS
General Mills is a leading global food company that serves the world by making food people love. Its brands include Cheerios, Annie's, Yoplait, Nature Valley, Fiber One, Häagen-Dazs, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Old El Paso, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills generated fiscal 2017 consolidated net sales of US $15.6 billion, as well as another US $1.0 billion from its proportionate share of joint-venture net sales.

SOURCE General Mills