Cheerios® is Looking for Everyday Heroes Who Lead the Fight Against Heart Disease
Nominations Open for Sisters Saving Hearts™ Award that Honors
Community Heart Leaders and Organizations with $5,000 Grants
Minneapolis, MN – (February 6, 2009) - Calling all heroes, Cheerios is searching for heart-inspiring
people who fight against heart disease each and every day. In America, heart disease
continues to be the leading cause of death among women, particularly among African-American
women, who are at the greatest risk for cardiovascular disease than any other ethnic group1. In
response to this alarming statistic, Cheerios is once again asking for nominations for the
Cheerios Sisters Saving Hearts Award that honors individuals or service organizations that have
made a difference in the African-American community.
Do you know someone who has gone above and beyond to help fight the battle against heart
disease or have you given your heart and soul to save others? Cheerios Sisters Saving Hearts,
a grassroots grant-giving initiative, is searching for heart-inspiring people who help eradicate
this curable disease. Now in its third year, Sisters Saving Hearts will honor five heart-inspiring
individuals or service organizations that have dedicated their time, talents and passion to fight
heart disease in their local communities with a $5,000 grant to the charity of their choice.
From now until March 15, 2009, help Cheerios spread awareness and fight the leading killer
among women in America by nominating a heart hero in your community. To nominate an
individual or organization, complete an online or mail-in entry form explaining how the nominee
has impacted others or improved the community on behalf of heart disease prevention.
Nominees must be at least 18 years of age and can be a friend, family member, colleague,
organization or yourself. The five honorees will be selected by a panel of judges based on the
honoree’s community impact, activities on behalf of heart disease and cholesterol and number
of individuals helped/served by the honoree’s actions.
"We are devoted to promoting healthy lifestyles and know how important education is in the fight
against heart disease," said Jeff Hingher, Cheerios Marketing. "The Cheerios Sisters Saving
Hearts initiative also helps arm Americans with useful information on heart disease prevention
and provides steps to a heart-healthy lifestyle via diet and exercise as well as regular
cholesterol and blood pressure screenings."
In addition to the Sisters Saving Heart grant initiative, you can also help others receive free
cholesterol screening for women in need through the Cheerios Circle of Helping Hearts®
program. Now through January 31st, 2010, for every code entered at
www.CheeriosHelpingHearts.com, Cheerios will donate $1, up to $200,000, to raise awareness
for heart disease and provide free cholesterol screenings for women in need, through its
partnership with WomenHeart. Codes will be featured inside specially marked boxes of
Cheerios cereal.
For more information about Cheerios Sisters Saving Hearts grants and nominations or about the
Cheerios Circle of Helping Hearts, please visit www.SistersSavingHearts.com
or www.CheeriosHelpingHearts.com.
About Cheerios
Cheerios, America's No. 1 cereal, debuted in 1941 as Cheerioats. The nation's first ready-toeat
oat cereal has since become one of the most trusted and recognized brands in America. In
fact, one of every 10 boxes of cereal sold in America is a box of Cheerios. General Mills'
popular franchise includes Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios, Apple Cinnamon
Cheerios, MultiGrain Cheerios, Berry Burst Cheerios, Fruity Cheerios, Cheerios Crunch, Yogurt
Burst Cheerios and Banana Nut Cheerios. For more information, go to www.cheerios.com.
About General Mills, Inc.
General Mills, with annual net sales of $13.4 billion, is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of consumer foods products. Based in Minneapolis, General Mills’ mission is to innovate to make people’s lives healthier, easier and richer around the world. Its global brand portfolio includes Cheerios and other Big G cereals, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Nature Valley, Yoplait and more. It also has more than 100 U.S. consumer brands, more than 30 of which generate annual retail sales in excess of $100 million. General Mills also is a leading supplier of baking and other food products to the food service and commercial baking industries.
1 American Heart Association, Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – 2008 Update