Cheerios® Celebrates America's Teachers with "Send Cheer to Teachers"

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Everyone has a teacher they admire and want to thank.  In fact, there are currently 6.2 million teachers in the U.S. who work tirelessly each and every day.  Cheerios® is making it simple to say thank you to a favorite teacher from your childhood days or your child's current teacher through the Cheerios Send Cheer to Teachers program. 

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(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130827/NY68267LOGO-b )

Now through mid-October, more than 14 million specially-marked Cheerios cereal boxes will feature a Send Cheer to Teachers postcard.  After cutting out the postcard from the front of the box, families can write a message of appreciation or a simple "thank you" and then share their "cheer" with a teacher they admire.

"Cheerios has a long-standing commitment to supporting and inspiring a lifelong love of learning and reading in children," said Scott Lee, associate marketing director for Cheerios.  "This year's Send Cheer to Teachers program is a natural extension of that commitment by providing a simple way to show the teachers in our lives how much we appreciate them."

America's teachers spend on average $398 of their own money on supplies and resources, and 92 percent of teachers use their own money to provide supplies for their students.*  Cheerios, together with the Box Tops for Education® program, is offering parents a way to help alleviate this burden with a Send Cheer to Teachers sweepstakes.  Now through July 17, 2014, parents can enter for a chance to win one of five prize packages for their child's school; one grand prize made up of 100,000 Bonus Box Tops** and $10,000 worth of school supplies courtesy of Avery®, and Ziploc® or one of four prize packages made up of 30,000 Bonus Box Tops and $2000 worth of school supplies courtesy of Avery® and Ziploc®.  Simply enter the unique code from inside the box online at btfe.com/sendcheer to earn one bonus Box Top for the school of your choice and enter for a chance to win one of five prize packages for your designated school.  Official rules can be found at btfe.com/sendcheer.

The Cheerios® Send Cheer to Teachers program will run throughout the fall with promotions and events to help inspire people to get involved.  To learn more, visit www.Cheerios.com/cheerteachers.

* National School Supply and Equipment Association

** Bonus Box Tops are courtesy of Land O'Lakes, Green Giant Fresh and Yoplait Frozen

About Cheerios
Cheerios, America's No. 1 cereal, debuted in 1941 as Cheerioats.  The nation's first ready-to-eat 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, Multi Grain Cheerios, Multi Grain Cheerios Peanut Butter, Chocolate Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios, Fruity Cheerios, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, Dulce de Leche Cheerios, Berry Burst Cheerios, Yogurt Burst Cheerios, Banana Nut Cheerios and Cheerios Crunch.  Cheerios also has a publishing division that includes the popular Cheerios Play Books and other activity books.  For more information, go to www.cheerios.com.

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, Haagen-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 2013 worldwide sales of US $17.8 billion.

About Box Tops for Education®
Box Tops for Education® is one of the nation's largest school fundraising loyalty programs and has been helping schools succeed since 1996. With over 240 participating products, it's an easy way for schools to earn cash for the things they need.

• Over 90,000 K-8 schools participate nationwide.
• Each Box Tops clip is worth 10 cents and they add up fast!
• Schools can use their Box Tops earnings to buy whatever they need most, from books to field trips to playgrounds.
• So far, America's schools have earned over $525 million from Box Tops…and counting. (total earned from all Box Tops programs since 1996)

SOURCE Cheerios