Attention Neighbors! Stock up on non-perishable food in addition to candy this Halloween; Trick-or-Treaters Getting Ready to Scare Away Hunger

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

WHAT:
More than 140 schools throughout Minnesota are supporting Free The Children's We Scare Hunger campaign, made possible by the General Mills Foundation. The annual school-driven campaign aims to raise awareness for and support local hunger issues by encouraging young people to trick-or-treat for non-perishable food items, instead of just candy, and collect canned goods and other non-perishable food items at their schools and in their communities, helping to scare hunger away.  In Minnesota, We Scare Hunger is embarking on what it hopes will be Minnesota's largest Halloween food drive to date.

Today (Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013), join 100 local students in their Halloween costumes with some of their collected food items at Second Harvest Heartland West Food Bank for a special pre-Halloween rally as they learn about local hunger challenges in advance of going door to door to collect non-perishable food items for their school-driven We Scare Hunger food drives**.

By participating in We Scare Hunger, students across Minnesota are becoming "Hunger Heroes," collecting thousands of pounds of non-perishable food items at their schools and in their communities, through food drives, door-to-door community outreach, organized events and more. All food items will be dropped off by students and teachers at their nearest Food Bank between now and Thanksgiving.

**Local students and teachers will be available at the event to speak to the campaign and for photo opportunities

Who:
100 Minneapolis–St. Paul area students in Halloween costumes (from Breck School, Washington Technology Secondary School, Hopkins North Junior School and North Junior High School) will join:

• Maggie Aldrich, Free The Children Outreach Speaker
• Mary Jane Melendez, Associate Director, General Mills Foundation
• Rob Zeaske, CEO, Second Harvest Heartland West Food Bank
• Gigi Gunderson, local students from Breck School

When:
Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Great Visuals!  The event will begin promptly at 2:00 p.m. with students dressed in their Halloween costumes coming off the busses with non-perishable food items, to be followed by festive activities. Special remarks to the students about the campaign, its impact, and the importance of supporting hunger issues will be delivered in front of a backdrop of food donated to Second Harvest. Media will also have opportunities to speak with youth involved in the campaign to learn what they did to support We Scare Hunger and why this is such an important cause. 

Where:
Second Harvest Heartland West Food Bank
6325 Sandburg Rd. Suite 1700
Golden Valley, MN 55427

For further information:
Julia Thomas, Free The Children 
C: 416.738.8702
[email protected]

SOURCE Free The Children