Minnesota Vikings, Hunger Solutions Minnesota and Second Harvest Heartland to Help Secure 200,000 Meals for Hungry Minnesota Children T...( Vikings Children's Fund Summer Lunch ...),Health

Vikings Children's Fund Summer Lunch Program aims to increase participation in the USDA's Summer Food Service Program

MINNEAPOLIS, May 27 /PRNewswire/ --The Minnesota Vikings, Hunger Solutions Minnesota and Second Harvest Heartland today announced the official launch of the Vikings Children's Fund Summer Lunch Program (http://missingmeals.org/summer-feeding/), which will help secure up to 200,000 additional meals for Minnesota children this summer. The Vikings have pledged $92,000 to the effort, which is helping to expand the USDA-sponsored Summer Food Service Program.

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"The Vikings Children's Fund aims to positively impact the well-being of our children and help provide them with the means to be healthy, strong and vibrant members of our community as they grow," said Steve LaCroix, vice president of sales and marketing, chief marketing officer with the Minnesota Vikings. "Proper nutrition will always be essential to a child's well-being, which is why the Vikings are honored to participate in this program with Hunger Solutions Minnesota and Second Harvest Heartland."

During the school year, 270,000 Minnesota school children receive free or reduced-price meals but just 54,000 children receive free or reduced-price meals during the summer months, according to the Minnesota Department of Education, which administers both the National School Lunch Program and the Summer Food Service Program.

"There is an incredible discrepancy in the number of children receiving nourishing meals during the summer months compared to the school year," said Alice Seagren, Minnesota's Education Commissioner. "We
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