Wonder® Bread Helps The USO Support Our Nation's Wounded Veterans Through Cycling at Ride 2 Recovery Memorial Challenge

IRVING, Texas, May 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its ongoing celebration of American heroes and partnership with the USO, Wonder® bread is supporting the USO at the Ride 2 Recovery (R2R) Memorial Challenge presented by UnitedHealthcare from May 28th to June 2nd. R2R helps wounded and disabled veterans through indoor and outdoor cycling programs. The Memorial Challenge is the second of four R2R events Wonder is supporting in 2012.

Wonder will deliver fresh bread for daily MobileUSO lunch stops at The Memorial Challenge which runs from Arlington, VA to Virginia Beach. After kicking off its R2R support at the Gulf States Challenge in March, Wonder will also hit the road to support the Minuteman Challenge, from Sept. 9th-15th, and the California Challenge, from Sept. 30th- Oct. 6th.

Wonder also recently launched the 2012 Wonder Bread Heroes program, benefitting the USO. Through June 8th, Wonder is inviting families to visit www.wonderbreadheroes.com and nominate everyday, American heroes for a chance to have $50,000 donated to the USO in the winning hero's name. The Wonder Bread Hero winner will have the opportunity to direct the donation to one of four USO programs: United Through Reading® Military Program, Operation Phone Home, Sesame Street/USO Experience Tour or With You All the Way. The winner will also receive $2,500 and a year's supply of Wonder to enjoy with his or her family.

"The USO and Wonder bread are two great American classics," said Stacey Schultz, Brand Manager for the bakers of Wonder.  "For more than 70 years, the USO has been making a difference in the lives of our troops and their families.  And for more than 90 years, Wonder has been a staple in American households. The Ride 2 Recovery events and Wonder Bread Heroes campaign give us a chance to honor Americans making a difference in the lives around them while also supporting the USO's mission and creative programs." 

"We applaud Wonder® bread's continuing partnership with the USO through the Wonder Bread Heroes campaign and its support of the R2R program," said USO SVP and Chief Development Officer Kelli Seely. "Wonder's support will help the USO do what it does best -- lift the spirits of troops and families through our many services and programs. Our troops count on this support and they deserve it." 

Throughout the summer, families can also pick up limited-edition, star-spangled packages of Wonder buns featuring the "Proud Supporter of the USO" emblem.

For more information about Wonder, please visit www.wonderbread.com or join Wonder's Facebook community at www.facebook.com/wonderbread. You can also follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/wonderbread.

About Wonder:

Wonder bread, one of America's most popular brands of bread, has a long history of baking soft, delicious, and nutritious breads for the whole family. In 2010, Wonder® launched Smartwhite®, a new bread with the taste and soft texture of white bread -- but with the fiber of 100% whole wheat bread. Last year, the brand also 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. Already, Wonder® Classic and Wonder® made with Whole Grain White and Smartwhite are baked to have reduced sodium.

About Ride 2 Recovery

Ride 2 Recovery, a 501(c) 3, helps injured veterans improve their physical and psychological health and wellness through rehabilitation programs that feature cycling as the core activity. From indoor spinning training at military installations to week- long Challenge events, Ride 2 Recovery helps injured veterans heal through cycling long distances using hand cycles, recumbents, tandems and traditional road bikes.

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 in the U.S. and abroad, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops, military families, wounded warriors and their families and the families of the fallen.

The USO is a private, nonprofit organization, not a government agency. We rely on the generosity of our volunteers and donors.  In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by President's Circle Partners: American Airlines, AT&T, Clear Channel, Kangaroo Express, Kroger, Lowe's, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Procter & Gamble, and TriWest Healthcare Alliance and Worldwide Strategic Partners: BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, The Coca-Cola Company, Lockheed Martin, and Microsoft Corporation. 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 uso.org.

SOURCE Wonder® Bread