CONTACT: Kris Tazelaar, Communications Manager, Second Harvest Foodbank; KrisT@shfbmadison.org; 608-216-7206
SOUTHWESTERN WISCONSIN RESIDENTS GET FIT FOR HUNGER RELIEF
Fourth annual Million Pound Challenge started January 1
MADISON, Wis., January 3, 2013 – Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin and the Princeton Club announce the fourth annual Million Pound Challenge, a fitness and weight loss campaign that directly benefits Second Harvest Foodbank and its emergency food pantry partners throughout its 16-county service area. New this year due to the success of last year’s campaign, the campaign has been renamed the Multi-Million Pound Challenge. The campaign begins January 1 and runs through May 31, 2013.
“We’re proud to partner with Second Harvest Foodbank and other generous sponsors to end hunger in southwestern Wisconsin through the Multi-Million Pound Challenge,” said Dave Gerry, President of the Princeton Club. “It’s a great way to motivate people who want to lose weight, get in better shape, and at the same time, provide food to our community members facing hunger.”
Participants sign up at http://www.Princetonclub.net/mpc to exercise or lose weight and select a Second Harvest Foodbank emergency food pantry beneficiary. For every pound of weight lost or hour exercised, the Princeton Club and other campaign sponsors contribute 10 pounds of food. The campaign is open to individuals, groups and schools. There’s no cost to participate or obligation to join a health club.
“The Multi-Million Pound Challenge campaign meets a critical need,” said Dan Stein, President/CEO for Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin. “We encourage all communities in our 16-county service area to participate and help raise more than a million pounds of food for our neighbors struggling with hunger.”
The Million Pound Challenge website (www.Princetonclub.net/mpc) has educational resources to assist participants in reaching their weight loss and fitness goals. It also has great downloadable tools on the “Media” page to motivate groups, including the campaign logo, posters, and banners.
To date, 1.5 million pounds of food will be available for distribution to the campaign’s beneficiaries. Additional financial donors are needed to increase the amount of food available. Interested parties can contact Lisa Gundlach at Second Harvest Foodbank at LisaG@shfbmadison.org or 608-216-7212 for more information.
About The Princeton Club
The Princeton Club started in Madison in 1987. With two locations in Madison and one in New Berlin, Wis., the Princeton Club serves more than 25,000 active members. These full service health clubs are open 24 hours per day, offering free child care, group fitness classes, nutritional and weight loss counseling, hundreds of state-of-the-art strength and cardiovascular exercise machines, pools, basketball and tennis courts, and more. The Princeton Club has earned recognition as “Best in Madison and Dane County” and “Best Health Club in Wisconsin.” For more information, visit http://www.princetonclub.net or call 608-241-2639 (BODY) or 608-833-2639 (BODY).
About Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin
Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin is a nonprofit organization committed to ending hunger in 16 southwestern Wisconsin counties through community partnerships. By focusing on a multipronged approach that includes food distribution, increasing participation in public and private food programs, and mobilizing the public, it serves nearly 141,000 people who struggle with hunger each year; 43% of whom are children. From July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012 Second Harvest Foodbank, together with its more than 225 partner agencies and programs, provided nearly 11.5 million meals to those facing hunger. It is one of 200 members of Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. For more information, visit SecondHarvestMadison.org.
