Lifeway Foods, Christy Turlington Burns Kick Off Every Mother Counts Sweepstakes to Raise Funds for Maternal Health

MORTON GROVE, Ill., Jan. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Lifeway Foods, Inc., (NASDAQ: LWAY) a leading supplier of kefir and organic kefir cultured dairy products, today announced the kickoff of its national Every Mother Counts (EMC) Sweepstakes and fundraising campaign to support maternal health. Every Mother Counts is an advocacy and mobilization campaign founded by Christy Turlington Burns to increase education and support for maternal mortality reduction globally.

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The Grand Prize for the sweepstakes includes an all-expense paid trip for two to Chicago on April 16 to meet global maternal health advocate and founder of EMC, Christy Turlington Burns. Additional highlights from the grand prize include: 

• VIP viewing of Turlington Burns' powerful new documentary "No Woman, No Cry." The film shares stories of at-risk pregnant women and their caregivers as they face critical junctures in their pregnancies in four parts of the world.
• Two-night stay at the Waldorf Astoria Chicago hotel.
• Special gift bag with prizes.
• $500 cash for expenses.

Following the event, Lifeway will host a question-and-answer panel with Turlington Burns and Lifeway CEO Julie Smolyansky, who has become an advocate for EMC, most recently visiting Bangladesh and running the New York City Marathon for Team EMC to raise awareness for the cause. The panel will be moderated by Jane M. Hussein Saks, executive director at the Ellen Stone Belic Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media at Columbia College in Chicago. 

To enter, simply purchase specially-marked bottles of Lifeway's Lowfat Kefir and look for the unique entry code on the bottle cap— most varieties feature the sweepstakes cap sticker. Then, enter this code on the special sweepstakes app at the Lifeway Kefir Facebook Page. All entries for the grand prize must be received before March 11 and the winner will be announced on March 14.

First prize will receive a Lifeway-EMC prize pack; second, third and fourth prizes will also be awarded. In all, Lifeway Foods will give away more than 200 prizes. In addition to the sweepstakes, Lifeway is donating five cents of the purchase price of each specially-marked bottle of Lowfat Blueberry Kefir to Every Mother Counts.

"Since becoming a mother myself, I've been a passionate supporter of Christy's work and the work Every Mother Counts is doing around the world to improve prenatal and postpartum care for millions of moms who otherwise wouldn't have access to the basic medical care they need during pregnancy and childbirth," Smolyansky said. "It's an honor to support Christy and EMC in their mission to improve maternal health and reduce the rate of maternal mortality."

Every 90 seconds, a woman dies from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, making reproductive health problems a leading cause of mortality worldwide for women ages 15 to 44. Experts estimate that as many as 90 percent of these deaths could be prevented through improved access to emergency services, quality prenatal and postpartum care and adequate family planning. 

"I am thrilled to have Lifeway Foods on board and so grateful for their support in helping us spread the word about the need for improved maternal health care in some of the most difficult regions around the globe, as well as right here at home in the U.S.," said Turlington Burns. "The Lifeway initiative is an easy, yet powerful way for anyone to make an impact. It seems like such a small thing to purchase a bottle of Blueberry Kefir, but that small thing can make a big difference in the lives of so many women."

For more information and to learn more about how you can support Every Mother Counts, visit www.everymothercounts.org.

About Lifeway Foods

Lifeway Foods, Inc. (LWAY), recently named one of Fortune Small Business' Fastest Growing Companies for the fifth consecutive year, is America's leading supplier of the cultured dairy products known as kefir and organic kefir. Lifeway Kefir is a dairy beverage that contains 10 exclusive live and active probiotic cultures plus ProBoost™. In addition to its line of Kefir products, the company produces a variety of Frozen Kefir and probiotic cheese products. Lifeway also sells frozen kefir, kefir smoothies and kefir parfaits through its Starfruit™ retail stores.    

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About Every Mother Counts

Every Mother Counts is an advocacy and mobilization campaign to increase education and support for maternal mortality reduction globally.  Every Mother Counts seeks to engage new audiences to better understand the challenges and the solutions while encouraging them to take action to improve the lives of girls and women worldwide.

About No Woman, No Cry

Hundreds of thousands of women die each year from complications of pregnancy. "No Woman, No Cry" tells the personal stories of pregnant women in four countries: a Maasai woman in labor must walk five miles to a clinic with no electricity, a pregnant woman in the slums of Bangladesh too ashamed to seek out care, a pregnant OB in Guatemala who helps women who have suffered from complications, and a midwife in central Florida who treats uninsured women who are denied appointments elsewhere. The film made its U.S. broadcast premier on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) in May 2011 and has been recognized at the Tribeca, London, Denver Starz, Zanzibar, Icaro and Watchdocs Human Rights International Film Festivals.

The Waldorf Astoria Chicago is located in the heart of the chic Gold Coast neighborhood near the most exclusive shops, restaurants and nightlife. Through innovations in service and technology, the 188-room hotel creates a new experience in luxury – energetic and fashion forward; warm and welcoming; fresh and engaging. In addition to its award-winning 14,000 square-foot spa and health club and 4,500- square feet of private event space, the property features two distinct culinary experiences: Balsan, a casual market-driven bistro; and RIA, a two-Michelin-starred, contemporary French restaurant. Having opened its doors in late 2009, the hotel has quickly accumulated a list of prestigious awards and accolades including: 5-diamond rating by AAA for 2011 and 2012; #1 U.S hotel by readers of Conde Nast Traveler; #1 U.S. hotel by U.S. News & World Report; #3 U.S. city hotel in Travel + Leisure. For more information, please visit http://waldorfastoria3.hilton.com/en/promotions/waldorfchicago.html, or call 312-646-1400.

SOURCE Lifeway Foods, Inc.