MINNEAPOLIS - Fifty nonprofit community groups across the U.S. received grants totaling $500,000 from the General Mills Foundation to support pioneering programs that help children develop lifelong nutrition and physical fitness habits.

Now in its second year, the General Mills Champions program is a long-term partnership between the General Mills Foundation, the American Dietetic Association Foundation and the President's Challenge. Additional components of the initiative include sponsorship of the Presidential Active Lifestyle Awards (PALA), as well as the development of nutrition and fitness mentoring models.

The initiative provides grants of $10,000 to schools or nonprofit community groups with programs that equip children and their families with skills they need to eat a balanced diet and exercise on a regular basis.

This year's grant winners include programs such as Splash! Kids Aquatic Program for low-income African-American families in Philadelphia. Others include the Reading, Running and Celery Sticks program in St. Louis that combines physical activities with a reading program for 3-5-year-olds; Portland's Healthy Start Program-Nutrition and Fitness Services that targets first-time mothers between the ages of 16 and 20; Give Me Five, an after-school program in Paul, Idaho in which healthy snacks will be served, 20 minutes will be devoted to physical activities, and a registered dietitian will present a weekly nutrition activity for students.

"Our success with the program last year demonstrates the power of partnering with local organizations across America to provide young people with the tools they need to live healthy, balanced and active lives," said Chris Shea, president of the General Mills Foundation. "The program dovetails with the long-term work of the President's Challenge, the ADAF and General Mills."

Utilizing its resources and expertise on nutrition issues, the ADAF plays a critical role in evaluating the grant proposals. In addition to the grants, the General Mills Foundation provides support for up to 50,000 young people who participate in the President's Challenge and earn the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) for their commitment to a physically active and fit lifestyle.

Any community-based, nonprofit organization or agency is eligible to apply for this annual program for one of 50 grants of $10,000 each. Preschools, as well as elementary, middle and high schools are eligible. Among the requirements for receiving a General Mills Champions grant is that the program must include both a strong nutrition education and a physical activity component.

Information on the General Mills Champions program, grant applications, best practices and model programs that can be adopted by any organization are available at www.generalmills.com/foundation. Additional information on the Presidential Active Lifestyle Awards can be found at www.presidentschallenge.org.

The General Mills Foundation, celebrating its 50th year of giving, is a champion for stronger communities. In fiscal year 2003, General Mills awarded $77 million to communities across the country - representing more than 5 percent of company pretax profits. Of that amount, the Foundation awarded a total of $20 million in grants in the targeted areas of youth nutrition and fitness, family life, education, and arts and culture.

The American Dietetic Association Foundation is the philanthropic arm of ADA. It is a 501(c)(3) charity devoted exclusively to nutrition and dietetics. The Foundation funds scholarships and awards, education and research projects, and ADA strategic initiatives that promote optimal nutrition health and well being of the public. It is the largest provider of scholarships and awards in the field of dietetics.

2004 General Mills Champions Grant Recipients:

Splash! Kids Aquatic Program
Arthritis Foundation, Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Fitness Counts: 1, 2, 3!
Be Active North Carolina, Inc.
Durham, North Carolina

Project: H.E.L.L.O. (Healthier Eating Life Line Options)
Beatrice Caffrey Youth Service, Inc.
Chicago, Illinois

The C.H.A.S.E. Program (Creating Healthy & Active School Environments)
Benicia Unified School District
Benicia, California

T.E.E.N. (Teen Education in Exercise and Nutrition)
Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows Clinical Services Department
Reno, Nevada

Fitness Fusion
Boys & Girls Club of Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania

Dancing for Fitness
Buffalo Inner City Ballet
Buffalo, New York

Rural Alaska Program
Camp Fire USA Alaska Council
Anchorage, Alaska

Train the Trainers
Children's Hunger Alliance
Columbus, Ohio

Choctaw Nation "I Have the Power"
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma--Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority
Talihina, Oklahoma

Child Life and Education
Church Health Center (CHC)
Memphis, Tennessee

Learn and Earn
Cincinnati Recreation Commission Foundation
Cincinnati, Ohio

Program E.N.E.R.G.Y. (Education, Nutrition and Exercise for Growing
Youth) Colorado State University Foundation
Fort Collins, Colorado

Wellness is Cool
Columbia Valley Community Health
Wenatchee, Washington

Project Health
Community Action Project of Tulsa County, Inc.
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Lifelong Wellness for Kids
Conemaugh Health Care Systems
Johnstown, Pennsylvania

"It's My Body!"
East Bay Asian Youth Center
Oakland, California

Project L.I.F.E. (Learning the Importance of Fitness Early)
East Islip Union Free School District
Islip Terrace, New York

Healthy Start Program--Nutrition and Fitness Services
Easter Seals Oregon
Portland, Oregon

Filer Elementary Walkers
Filer Elementary School
Filer, Idaho

180 Days to a Healthier School
Florence School District Three--Scranton Elementary School
Scranton, South Carolina

Atlanta After-School All-Stars Program
Georgia State University Research Foundation, Inc.
Atlanta, Georgia

Uniquely Me! Inside and Out, Loving the Skin You're In and the Busy
Girls' Guide to Exercise
Girl Scouts of Conifer Council
Texarkana, Arkansas

A Healthy You
Girl Scouts of Metro Detroit
Detroit, Michigan

Highway to Health
Girl Scouts Peacepipe Council
Redwood Falls, Minnesota

Reading, Running and Celery Sticks
Grace Hill Settlement House
St. Louis, Missouri

Calcium Girls (CAL-Girls)
Greater Minneapolis Girl Scout Council
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Windham Southeast Supervisory Union's Nutrition and Fitness Challenge
Green Mountain Training Center for Healthy Schools and Communities
Brattleboro, Vermont

Choose F.U.N.! (Fitness Understanding Nutrition)
High Country Counseling and Resource Centers
Afton, Wyoming

Native Youth Posse
Ho-Chunk Community Development Corporation
Walthill, Nebraska

Food & Fitness Craze
Iowa 4-H Foundation
Ames, Iowa

Family Nutrition Education Project
La Rabida Children's Hospital
Chicago, Illinois

Mighty Bites
Lakewood Legacy Foundation
Lakewood, Colorado

Walking on Sunshine
Lockhart Elementary Magnet
Tampa, Florida

Fit for Life
Lockhart Independent School District
Lockhart, Texas

Promoting Lifetime Activity for Youth (P.L.A.Y.)
Maricopa County Department of Public Health
Phoenix, Arizona

Girls Jumping in Memphis (G.J.I.M.)
Memphis and Shelby County Health Department--Community Development
Section
Memphis, Tennessee

E.F.F.E.C.T. (Establishing Fit Families through Education,
Communication and Training) Miami Valley Health Improvement Council,
Inc.
Fairborn, Ohio

Campeones De Salud (Healthy Champions)
Northside Inter-Church Agency, Inc.
Fort Worth, Texas

Youth Nutrition and Fitness Grant
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio

Give Me Five
Paul Elementary School
Paul, Idaho

Defeating Diabetes with Food and Fitness
Rocky Boy School
Box Elder, Montana

Berry Berry Good Childhood Overweight Prevention Project
Russell Child Development Center
Garden City, Kansas

Mission: Possible
San Jose Unified School District
San Jose, California

Triple F: Food and Fitness Frenzy
South Panola School District
Batesville, Mississippi

Good to Go
The Children's Village
Dobbs Ferry, New York

Mind Body Connection: An Adolescent Nutrition and Fitness Program
Visiting Nurse Association of Fox Valley
Aurora, Illinois

On Target for Healthy Children
Waldo County Preschool & Family Services
Belfast, Maine

Get Up, Get Moving!
Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital Charitable Foundation
Yakima, Washington

"Y" Be Healthy
YMCA of Greater Miami
Miami, Florida

General Mills

General Mills

About General Mills

General Mills is one of the world’s leading food companies, operating in more than 100 countries around the world. Its brands include Cheerios, Fiber One, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Yoplait, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., USA, General Mills had fiscal 2015 worldwide sales of US $18.8 billion.

More from General Mills