ConAgra Foods Teams Up With Jewel, Owl City and Jay Sean to Kick-off Child Hunger Ends Here Campaign With Original Song, 'Here's Hope'

OMAHA, Neb., March 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ConAgra Foods is kicking off the third year of its nationally-recognized Child Hunger Ends Here campaign with an original song and exclusive video content from platinum recording artists Jewel, Owl City, and Jay Sean, and a social media influencer campaign comprised of leading bloggers from throughout the nation. With these efforts, ConAgra Foods will work to meet its overall goal of donating five million meals this school year – which complements the ConAgra Foods Foundation's $10 million, 5-year commitment – to Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization.

Co-written by industry-leading songwriters Hunter Hayes, Luke Laird and Barry Dean, the original song, "Here's Hope," leverages the power of music to inspire action, touch hearts and raise awareness for the issue, while motivating consumers to learn how they can help end child hunger in the United States. Beginning March 2, consumers can visit www.ChildHungerEndsHere.com to download original versions of the song recorded by Jewel, Owl City and Jay Sean, and enjoy exclusive content from each artist while supporting the Child Hunger Ends Here campaign.

"More than one in five children in the United States doesn't know where their next meal is coming from, and for nearly two decades, ConAgra Foods and the ConAgra Foods Foundation have been powerful advocates for those children," said Gary Rodkin, CEO of ConAgra Foods. "It is through our continued collaboration with Feeding America and our unwavering commitment, that we have been able to make progress in this fight. Now, with these talented performers, we hope to have an even bigger impact and encourage more consumers to join us."

To participate, consumers can purchase specially marked packages of select ConAgra Foods brands including Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Healthy Choice, Hunt's, Marie Callender's, Manwich, Orville Redenbacher's, Peter Pan and Snack Pack, then visit www.ChildHungerEndsHere.com to enter the eight-digit code found on specially marked packages. For each code entered, the equivalent of one meal* will be donated to Feeding America. Codes can be redeemed through August 2012.

In return for entering a code from specially marked packages, consumers can download their favorite version of "Here's Hope" from Jewel, Owl City and Jay Sean. Exclusive interviews, messages and behind-the-scenes videos by each artist will also be available during the program on www.ChildHungerEndsHere.com. Consumers will also be able to submit their zip code to enter their local Feeding America food bank into a competition to receive an 80,000-meal donation (ten food banks will receive based on the total number of zip codes entered) courtesy of ConAgra Foods.

"As a homeless teen, I experienced the epidemic of hunger first-hand. Now, as a new mother, it breaks my heart to know that children suffer from this every day," said Jewel. "I'm honored and humbled to be able to help those in need through the Child Hunger Ends Here program and say to our friends and neighbors struggling with hunger, 'Here's hope.'"

Owl City's Adam Young added: "When I learned of the hunger crisis affecting kids in my home state of Minnesota, let alone nationwide, I was eager to get involved and do my part to help end this national crisis."

Cash Money recording artist Jay Sean said: "I've been a New Yorker since I arrived in the United States to pursue my music career, and I often see people suffering with various forms of poverty. I was unaware, however, just how many children were living without enough food in New York City and throughout the United States. I know music can feed the soul and I'm hopeful that through this program, it can help feed America's young people, as well."

In addition to partnering with celebrity talent, ConAgra Foods is enlisting its own talent for the company's Week of Service, March 5-10. Employees at locations nationwide will volunteer at food banks, pack boxes of food and serve meals. The company hopes to exceed the 3,000 hours employees volunteered during last year's Week of Service.

ConAgra Foods is Feeding America's Leadership Partner in the fight to end child hunger. The company and the ConAgra Foods Foundation have collectively donated more than 275 million pounds of food and invested more than $36 million dollars to combat child hunger since 1993. The Foundation, the philanthropic organization primarily funded by ConAgra Foods, is in the midst of a $10 million, 5-year commitment to Feeding America, the largest donation ever made to Feeding America specifically to fight child hunger.

"With the launch of 'Here's Hope' as the official kick-off to the third year of the Child Hunger Ends Here Campaign, Feeding America celebrates our long-standing partnership with ConAgra Foods — a company that has committed time, food and funds to Feeding America with both passion and purpose," said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America. "With the help of friends, neighbors and music fans across the country, we know we can continue to make a positive difference in the lives of children in need."

For more information, visit www.ChildHungerEndsHere.com. You can also follow the discussion at www.facebook.com/ConAgraFoods, or tweet along by following www.twitter.com/ConAgraFoods and using #ChildHunger.

*Enter the 8-digit code and a monetary donation will be made to help provide one meal through Feeding America's network of food banks, up to a maximum of 3 million meals for codes entered through 8/31/12. Valid in U.S. only. $1 donated = 8 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local food banks.

About ConAgra Foods

ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG), is one of North America's leading food companies, with brands in 97 percent of American households. ConAgra Foods provides some of America's long-time favorites. Consumers can find Chef Boyardee, Egg Beaters, Hebrew National, Hunt's Tomato Sauces and Ketchup, Marie Callender's, Orville Redenbacher's, PAM, Reddi-wip, Slim Jim Meat Sticks and Beef Jerky and many other ConAgra Foods brands in grocery, convenience, mass merchandise and club stores. ConAgra Foods operates ReadySetEat.com, an interactive recipe website that provides consumers with Easy Dinner Recipes and more. ConAgra Foods also has a strong business-to-business presence, supplying frozen potato and sweet potato products as well as other vegetable, spice and grain products to a variety of well-known restaurants, foodservice operators and commercial customers. For more information, please visit us at http://www.conagrafoods.com.

About Feeding America

Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 63,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit http://www.feedingamerica.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow our news on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

About Jewel

Jewel is an acclaimed American singer, songwriter, actress, poet, painter and philanthropist. The four-time Grammy nominee, hailed by the New York Times as a "songwriter bursting with talents," has enjoyed career longevity rare among her generation of artists. After tremendous success and more than 27 million albums sold, Jewel released her debut country album, Perfectly Clear, in June 2008, which garnered her spot at #1 on the Billboard country album charts. Shortly after Perfectly Clear, Jewel debuted her first-ever independent release, Lullaby, in a partnership with Fisher-Price® and Somerset Entertainment. In 2010, she released her sophomore follow-up album, Sweet and Wild, which she wrote and produced. In 2011 Jewel released The Merry Goes 'Round, the follow up to her best-selling album "Lullaby," on Somerset Entertainment's Fisher-Price label. The album includes of songs both children and their parents can enjoy together and was named by itunes as best children's album of the year. She currently lives on a working ranch in Stephenville, Texas with her husband, World Champion bull-riding superstar, Ty Murray and their baby Kase Townes Murray.

About Owl City

Owl City exploded onto the scene with the success of his major label debut Ocean Eyes. Released by Universal Republic Records in July 2009, the album topped the Billboard Rock, Alternative, and Dance/Electronic charts and was certified platinum in the U.S. It also spawned the quadruple platinum hit "Fireflies," which hit #1 in 24 countries including twice in the U.S. Following his debut release, Owl City went on his first headlining tour and sold out shows across 4 continents, scarcely taking a break until it was time to record a new album. In the winter of 2010, the electro-pop aficionado went back into the basement where it all began and recorded his sophomore release All Things Bright and Beautiful, which was released on June 14th, 2011. That same week, Owl City kicked off another worldwide headlining tour bringing with him some new songs as well as his exciting live show. The 76 date trek took the band across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia and as the All Things Bright and Beautiful World Tour drew to a close, the Owl City – Live from Los Angeles DVD was released. Owl City is currently working on a new album tentatively set for a Summer 2012 release.

About Jay Sean

Jay Sean is the international pop/R&B superstar best known for his back-to-back 2009 smash hits, "Down," featuring Lil Wayne, and "Do You Remember," featuring Sean Paul. Combined, these two singles have sold more than 8 Million copies worldwide, with "Down" going to #1 on the Billboard hot 100 and garnering more than 112 million views on YouTube. This catapulted Jay Sean and his U.S. debut album ALL OR NOTHING, into a league reserved for few. "Down" also became Cash Money's first track to snag the #1 spot on the Top 40 Radio Chart. The album was followed by the now worldwide platinum single,"2012 (It Ain't the End)," featuring hotly-tipped rapper and singer Nicki Minaj, and "Hit the Lights," featuring world renowned rapper Lil Wayne. Set to release his Cash Money Records/Universal Republic follow-up in 2012, the highly-anticipated album, the singer's fourth, is the strongest realization of his vision to date: a lethal combination of pop, R&B and dance music that bridges Jay Sean's musical interests. 

www.conagrafoods.com

www.childhungerendshere.com

SOURCE ConAgra Foods