From the Baseball Diamond to the Kitchen Table: Professional Baseball Player Ben Rice Teams Up with Ben's Original™ Rice for a Grand Slam Partnership

First baseman and iconic rice brand unite to help fight childhood hunger

CHICAGO, March 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- What happens when a baseball player named Ben Rice and a beloved rice brand named Ben's Original™ decide to team up? A partnership that's a grand slam of flavor and purpose. In a collaboration that could have been written in the stars (not to mention on a jersey), professional baseball player Ben Rice is joining forces with Ben's Original, a brand proudly part of Mars. Together with No Kid Hungry, they are turning a perfect name match into a shared mission to make tasty, healthy food more accessible to more people and help combat childhood hunger all season long.

Ben's Original Rice and Ben Rice Team Up to Help End Childhood Hunger
What started as a coincidence quickly became an opportunity to create meaningful impact. Childhood hunger continues to impact millions of families across the country, with many kids relying on schools and community programs for consistent meals.

To kick start the effort, the partnership will help provide access to up to 22,000 meals* for kids facing food insecurity through No Kid Hungry, inspired by the number 22 on Ben Rice's jersey. It marks the start of a shared commitment that will continue throughout the season, connecting his presence on the field to a broader mission off the field by helping more kids access the meals they need. For every big play Ben Rice makes this season, Ben's Original will donate to No Kid Hungry to help kids access up to 22,000 meals*.

"When your name is already built into the partnership, the only thing left to do is swing for the fences," said Ben Rice. "Ben's Original has built a great legacy, and I'm excited to be part of that while helping more kids and families access the meals they need."

A Winning Mix of Flavor and Fandom
For more than 70 years, Ben's Original brand has helped make mealtimes easier with quick, convenient dishes that are tasty, accessible, and healthy. Today, the Ben's Original portfolio spans Single Serve Cups, Street Food Ready Meals and Ready Rice – each packed with bold flavors and designed to make every meal a homerun. Now, the brand is stepping into culture in a new way, bridging America's pastime with everyday mealtime.

"When we saw Ben Rice step up to the plate, we knew we had a fantastic opportunity," said Matt Graham, VP of Growth and Digital Demand, Mars Food & Nutrition. "This partnership goes beyond a fun name connection. It's about using the moment to expand access to meals for kids and continuing to deliver the tasty, healthy, convenient options families love. Together, we're turning awareness into action."

Follow Along to See What's Next This Season
To learn more about the Ben's Original and Ben Rice partnership and how the dynamic duo are helping to end childhood hunger with No Kid Hungry, visit BensOriginal.com and follow the brand on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.

ABOUT MARS, INCORPORATED

Mars, Incorporated is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. As a $65bn+ family-owned business, our diverse and expanding portfolio of leading pet care products and veterinary services support pets all around the world and our quality snacking and food products delight millions of people every day. We produce some of the world's best-loved brands including ROYAL CANIN^®, PEDIGREE^®, WHISKAS^®, CESAR^®, M&M'S^®, SNICKERS^®, Pringles^®, Cheez-It^®, and BEN'S ORIGINAL™. Our international networks of pet hospitals, including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™ and ANICURA™ span preventive, general, specialty, and emergency veterinary care, and our global veterinary diagnostics business ANTECH^® offers breakthrough capabilities in pet diagnostics. The Mars Five Principles — Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom — inspire our more than 170,000 Associates to act every day to help create a better world for people, pets and the planet. 

For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

*Meal equivalencies vary. See NoKidHungry.org/onedollar

SOURCE Mars, Incorporated