UNICEF Kid Power Launches Free Star Wars: Force for Change Mission and Introduces New Green Kid Power Band to Help Kids and Fans Get Active and Save Lives This Summer

NEW YORK, May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Fund for UNICEF today introduced a new UNICEF Kid Power Band in a special co-branded Star Wars: Force for Change green color to allow kids and Star Wars fans alike to get active and save lives. To help fans get excited about unlocking therapeutic food packets, a new Star Wars: Force for Change Mission was launched today through the UNICEF Kid Power App, free for every member of the UNICEF Kid Power Team when they update their App. Ashley Eckstein, voice of Ahsoka Tano in both Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, is featured in the new Mission.

And, to make it even easier for families to get active and save lives this summer, UNICEF Kid Power Bands are now available in all Target stores as well as on Target.com.*

Here's how UNICEF Kid Power works: By getting active with the UNICEF Kid Power Band, kids go on Missions to learn about new cultures and earn points. Points unlock funding from partners, parents and fans, and funds are used by UNICEF to deliver lifesaving packets of therapeutic food to severely malnourished children around the world. The more kids move, the more points they earn and the more lives they save. UNICEF Kid Power is a program of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, and is made possible through the generous support of Presenting Sponsors Star Wars: Force for Change and Target as well as local partners, parents and fans.

"The UNICEF Kid Power Team has made great strides towards ending global malnutrition. To date – kids, parents, teachers and fans across the country have earned more than 7 million Kid Power Points, unlocking almost 600,000 packets of Ready-to-use Therapeutic Food – enough to save the lives of 4,000 children around the world," said Caryl Stern, President and CEO, U.S. Fund for UNICEF. We're so proud of the Kid Power team, and now fans can continue making a difference as they play, jump and run with exciting new Mission and Band options."  

Globally, 1 in 4 children is malnourished – about 159 million children worldwide – while 1 in 4 children in the United States is inactive. Malnutrition is attributable to nearly half of all deaths of children under age five, and 16 million children suffer from the most life-threatening form of malnutrition – severe acute malnutrition – which can require specialized care with therapeutic food packets. The therapeutic food packets unlocked by UNICEF Kid Power contain a specially-designed protein and vitamin-rich peanut paste, which allows children who are severely malnourished to be treated in their communities and has the potential to transform the lives of millions of malnourished children around the world.

"Star Wars: Force for Change is proud to continue working with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF in support of UNICEF Kid Power. Force for Change is about inspiring people to make a positive impact on the world and the UNICEF Kid Power program is doing just that. With the new green band and Star Wars-themed Mission, we're thrilled to be able to use the Star Wars brand to help kids in need." Kayleen Walters, VP, Franchise Marketing & Integrated Planning, Lucasfilm.

Students in 13 cities are also taking steps to end global malnutrition as part of the UNICEF Kid Power school program, which leverages easy-to-use technology and standards-based curriculum to promote healthy living and global citizenship. In a few weeks, all students can continue getting active and saving lives during their summer break, when they have the opportunity to switch over to the Kid Power Family App.

"At Target, we're incredibly proud of the success of UNICEF Kid Power in helping kids in the U.S. get active while also addressing global malnutrition," said Laysha Ward, executive vice president and chief corporate social responsibility officer, Target. "We think our guests will love the new green color band and we're excited to reach even more families by now offering UNICEF Kid Power Bands in all of our stores, in addition to Target.com."

For more information, visit UNICEFKidPower.org.

About UNICEF Kid Power
UNICEF Kid Power gives kids the power to save lives. By getting active with the UNICEF Kid Power Band, kids go on missions to earn points and unlock therapeutic food packets for severely malnourished children around the world. UNICEF Kid Power is a program of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, and is made possible through the generous support of Presenting Sponsors Star Wars: Force for Change and Target, as well as local supporters, parents and fans. Kid Power is also supported by Founding Partners The George Harrison Fund for UNICEF and Calorie Cloud, in addition to Program Partners Ammunition Group and Design Group Italia. For more information, visit www.unicefkidpower.org.

About UNICEF
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to put children first. UNICEF has helped save more children's lives than any other humanitarian organization, by providing health care and immunizations, clean water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF supports UNICEF's work through fundraising, advocacy and education in the United States. Together, we are working toward the day when no children die from preventable causes and every child has a safe and healthy childhood. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.

**For each UNICEF Kid Power Band purchased in US Target stores and target.com between 10.13.2015 and 12.31.2016, Target will donate $10 to United States Fund for UNICEF. The more kids move, the more Kid Power points they earn. Kid Power points are converted to funding by partners, parents and fans. UNICEF uses funding to deliver lifesaving packets of therapeutic food to severely malnourished children. The Kid Power donation/program is not being administered by Target. For more information on the UNICEF Kid Power program, visit www.unicefkidpower.org. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF does not endorse any brand or product. Donation is not tax deductible for guests.

SOURCE U.S. Fund for UNICEF

Related Links

http://www.unicefusa.org