KIND And Kevin Durant Unveil New Initiative To Show It's Strong To Be Kind™

NEW YORK, March 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- KIND Healthy Snacks (KIND) and NBA star Kevin Durant today announced that they have partnered to launch a new cultural initiative that aims to challenge deep-rooted stereotypes and redefine cultural perceptions of strength and kindness.

Through the initiative, the purpose-driven healthy snacks company and global basketball icon are looking to define kindness for what it really is – the greatest show of human strength. In conjunction with the program, KIND and Durant are looking for one million people to join them in taking the STRONG & KIND pledge to support a $1 million donation from KIND to the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation, which will be used to create programming for at-risk youth to teach them that it's strong to be kind™.

With this movement, both partners seek to flip ingrained definitions on their heads, so that society no longer views strength as dominance and superiority over others, and kindness as its opposite – a sign of weakness.

"As a pro athlete, I know it can be easy to focus on trash talk and negativity," said Durant, the NBA's leading scorer this season and five-time NBA All-Star. "Kindness can sometimes be mistaken for weakness, but I want to change that perception. The reality is that it takes a lot of strength to be kind."

"We don't tend to associate strength with kindness. Actually, the two are integrally connected," said Daniel Lubetzky, founder and CEO of KIND. "At KIND, we believe that it takes courage to go outside your comfort zone and do something kind, particularly when you need to stand up for someone else. Kevin exemplifies this on a daily basis. With this movement, we hope to start a conversation about how it's strong to be kind."

By taking the pledge at www.strongandkind.com, people are committing to:

• Having the courage to be kind when others may not.
• Looking out for those who can't look out for themselves.
• Standing up when others would rather stand out.
• Leaving their world a kinder place than they found it.
• Being STRONG & KIND.

People are encouraged to join the movement at www.strongandkind.com, and to join in the conversation on social media through the hashtag #strongandkind.

About KIND Healthy Snacks
KIND was launched in 2004 with the aim of inspiring people to do the kind thing for your body, your taste buds, & your world^®. From its delicious foods made from ingredients you can see & pronounce^® to its commitment to social entrepreneurship, KIND is focused on making the world a little kinder one act (and snack) at a time. To further this mission, KIND launched KIND Causes in order to support socially impactful ideas with $10,000 each month. Additionally, KIND encourages its community to use the hashtag #kindawesome to capture kindness in their worlds. To view a living mural of all things #kindawesome and to learn more about KIND Causes, visit http://www.kindsnacks.com/dtkt/.

As for its award winning products, all KIND snacks are gluten free, and non GMO. KIND currently offers six different snack lines including: two lines of delicious whole nut & fruit bars, KIND Fruit & Nut^® and KIND PLUS™; a line whole nut & spice bars that are naturally lower in sugar, KIND Nuts & Spices™; a line of KIND Healthy Grains™ Clusters made from five super grains; a line of chewy-with-a-crunch KIND Healthy Grains™ Bars; and a line of savory-flavored snacks featuring 10g of protein, STRONG & KIND™. To snack happy and become part of the community, visit www.kindsnacks.com.

About the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation (KDCF)
The Kevin Durant Charity Foundation is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) mission-based organization created by Mr. Kevin Durant to enrich the lives of at-risk youths from ages 6 to 18 through educational, athletic and social program support. A primary focus for the Foundation is to develop and establish the KD House, which will provide full-circle transitional housing for homeless families dedicated to improving their lives by moving them to permanent housing.

Related Links:
strongandkind.com 
KIND Healthy Snacks 
Kevin Durant

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140313/NY82343-a 
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140313/NY82343-b 
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140313/NY82343-c

SOURCE KIND Healthy Snacks