Wonder® Bread Donating $100,000 to USO as Part of Its Wonder Heroes Campaign

IRVING, Texas, June 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Wonder® bread announced it will make a $100,000 donation to the USO as part of its Wonder Honors America's Everyday Heroes campaign - a national search for ordinary people making extraordinary contributions to their families, communities or country.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101130/NY09130LOGO )

The donation, made in honor of America's inspiring Wonder heroes, will support the United Through Reading® Military Program, which was established to connect those stationed abroad to their loved ones back home.  Whether troops are stationed at a forward operating base in Afghanistan or deploying overseas, they can visit their participating USO center to read a story aloud to their child. Mom or Dad's special storytime is recorded on camera, and the USO mails this priceless DVD and book home. Children can watch and listen to their parent at bedtime, naptime or anytime. Families complete the circle by sending back a touch of home – a photo of the child watching their deployed Mom or Dad reading the book.

"The USO and Wonder bread are two great American icons," said Ann Oades, Director of Premium Bread Marketing for the bakers of Wonder.  "For more than 70 years, the USO has been supporting American troops who have answered the call of duty and their families.  And for 90 years, Wonder bread has been a staple in American households and part of American meals for generations. As Wonder honors everyday heroes among us, we are proud to support the USO's mission as it continues to make a difference in the lives of so many."  

"We applaud this unique campaign spearheaded by Wonder® bread that shines a spotlight on the USO programs that support troops and their families. It's a noble way to show appreciation and join in our daily mission to lift the spirits of our troops and families. The troops are our heroes and are who need us the most right now," said Kelli Seely, senior vice president and chief development officer for the USO.  

In addition to its support of the United Through Reading® Military Program, Wonder sponsored a USO Ride2Recovery event. Ride2Recovery provides mental and physical rehabilitation programs for America's wounded veterans with a focus on cycling. Wonder donated fresh loaves of bread and buns for sandwiches for participating cyclists during the ride from Washington D.C. to Virginia Beach over Memorial Day weekend.

In stores now through Independence Day, consumers will see millions of limited edition Wonder hot dog and hamburger bun packages featuring the USO logo. The campaign continues online on the Wonder bread Facebook page with the new Wonder Patriot Facebook app. Fans will be able to honor their special patriots by framing personal photos and uploading them to Facebook. To learn more about the Wonder Patriot app, become a part of Wonder's Facebook community at www.facebook.com/wonderbread, and for more information about Wonder please visit www.wonderbread.com.

About Wonder:

Wonder bread, one of America's best selling brands of bread, has a long history of baking soft, nutritious and delicious breads for the whole family.  Last year, Wonder® launched Smartwhite®, a new bread with the taste and soft texture of white bread - but with the fiber of 100% whole wheat bread. The brand also recently launched Wonder® Smartwheat™, a soft and delicious 100% whole wheat bread with added nutrition. Both breads have no high fructose corn syrup. In addition, Wonder Classic and Wonder Classic Sandwich breads have improved nutrition, providing the same amount of calcium as eight ounces of milk in two slices and are good sources of vitamin D.

Wonder led the way in joining the National Sodium Reduction Initiative, an unprecedented public-private partnership established to help reduce sodium in foods by 20 percent over the next five years, and became the first brand to take THE DOCTORS' "Halt the Salt" pledge and publicly commit to NSRI guidelines.  Already, Wonder® Classic and Wonder® Made With Whole Grain White and Smartwhite are baked to have reduced sodium.

About the USO

The USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America's troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide.  We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops and their families, wounded warriors and their families and the families of the fallen.

The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. We rely on the generosity of our volunteers and donors.  In addition to individual donors and other corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners: American Airlines, AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Procter & Gamble and TriWest Healthcare Alliance. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381).  To join us in this patriotic mission and to learn more about the USO, please visit www.uso.org.

SOURCE Wonder(R)