Partnership with Girls on the Run encourages self-respect, healthy living

Many retirees have grandchildren who participate in creative, social and sporting event activities throughout the year. Each year, our Earn Your Stripes program sponsors youth and fitness programs across the country. Featured here is Girls on the Run, one of the programs developed to encourage kids to believe in themselves and overcome challenges.

Now, girls in northwest Arkansas are getting an even greater opportunity to develop their own self-respect and healthy lifestyles through running, thanks in part to a donation by Kellogg to their local Girls on the Run council.

Kellogg's Walmart team presents a check for $15,000 to Girls on the Run of Northwest Arkansas. The team proudly serves as the local presenting sponsor for this council, providing volunteers, coaches, and serving on the local race committee and board of directors.

"Our Earn Your Stripes program has been sponsoring Girls on the Run of Northwest Arkansas since 2005, when we began our sponsorship of the national program," says Joni Coughlin, Associate Brand Manager, Frosted Flakes. "However, this is the first year that the organization has established itself as an independent council, as opposed to operating through the local Boys and Girls Club. We’re delighted to have helped make this goal a reality."

The organization recently held a party to raise funds to expand its operations and to reach out to more girls in the northwest Arkansas region. Kellogg presented a check for $15,000 during the festivities to support the program’s vision and growth goals.

More about Earn Your Stripes Kellogg launched Earn Your Stripes in 2004. Through the initiative, we sponsor a number of youth sports and fitness programs. In addition to Girls on the Run, this includes Little League International and Pop Warner Little Scholars.

Running events are held across the country in the spring, and as a sponsor, our company is present at races in several cities, including Chicago, San Francisco, Charlotte and Kalamazoo, Mich., near our Battle Creek headquarters.

Among other activities, Tony the Tiger is on hand at the races to encourage the runners. Participants also receive Earn Your Stripes water bottles.

"Earn Your Stripes encourages kids to believe in themselves to overcome challenges, accomplish their goals and be their very best," Joni says. "By sponsoring Girls on the Run, we can help encourage these girls to not only eat right and work hard, but also earn their stripes from start to finish."

Our national sponsorship has not only helped support the northwest Arkansas organization, but also Girls on the Run councils across the U.S.

"We are very excited to be working with Kellogg to provide girls with a common message: to be strong, respect their bodies and believe in themselves," says Molly Barker, founder of Girls on the Run. "Thanks to Kellogg, we are able to provide our program to thousands of girls. Girls who will exit our program not only feeling good about themselves, but who are also able to identify their own unique gifts and talents. This kind of self-awareness will help them succeed in every part of their lives."

Girls on the Run athlete achieves success with Youth Achievement Award Bailey Griffin The Frosted Flakes brand team is pleased to announce that the 2009 recipient of the Youth Achievement Award is Girls on the Run participant Bailey Griffin. Bailey, now 10, has been running for three-and-a-half years. She lives in Tonasket, Wash. Frosted Flakes , in partnership with ESPN, the sports cable network, created the award to honor a youth athlete for working hard and earning his or her stripes. Finalists created Award Short videos that demonstrated how they work hard by playing their favorite sport or activity. The videos were posted online at a sports hub created for kids at www.espn.com/earnyourstripes. Site visitors voted for the athlete they believed was most deserving of the award. Bailey received the award July 15 during a special breakfast ceremony held as part of this year's ESPY Awards festivities. This is the second year Frosted Flakes has presented the Youth Achievement Award.