Kellogg's Teams With Jimmy Butler & Quvenzhane Wallis to Fight Childhood Hunger

Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day, but nearly one-in-five kids nationwide struggles with hunger and may go without it every day. To help solve that issue, Kellogg's has partnered with Academy Award-nominated actress Quvenzhané Wallis, from Annie, and professional basketball player Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls to illuminate the issue of children struggling with hunger during National Breakfast Week, which began March 2. This year's breakfast program is part of the company's Breakfasts for Better Days commitment to provide 1 billion servings of cereal and snacks – more than half of which are breakfast – to children and families in need around the world by the end of 2016. Kellogg's is taking a step towards that goal by providing up to one million breakfasts in 2015 for every specially marked box of Kellogg's cereal sold. Kellogg's is also teaming up with Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) for the fifth consecutive year to make sure more children get breakfasts in school. Jimmy Butler Butler, an NBA All-Star who plays for the Chicago Bulls, knows firsthand what it's like to face adversity and understands the importance of starting his day with breakfast. Through hard work and determination along with the much needed support of his family and community, he has been able to achieve his basketball dream. With a personal connection to this issue, Butler is now teaming with Kellogg's to raise awareness of this problem and help ensure that more kids have an opportunity to reach their full potential. "I'm proud to be partnering with Kellogg's to raise awareness about childhood hunger," said Butler. "Kids should have the tools to help them reach their potential – and it all starts with a good breakfast." Butler will host a school breakfast event at a Chicago public high school on Wednesday, March 4, to meet with students and emphasize the importance of that first morning meal. After breakfast, students will put their energy into action with a basketball free throw shootout culminating in a monetary donation made to the school by Jimmy Butler and Kellogg's. Quvenzhané Wallis Eleven-year-old Wallis, a Louisiana native and Academy-award nominated actress, is known for playing roles of kids living in less than ideal circumstances. Her breakthrough performance as Hushpuppy in Beasts of the Southern Wild and recent role of Annie have inspired the young star to take action in helping other kids and fighting back against childhood hunger, a challenge faced by millions of American school children. Quvenzhané's mother, Qulyndreia, a former school teacher herself, knows firsthand how hunger can impact their ability to reach their full potential. Which is why both have joined Kellogg's in efforts to give breakfast to kids in need. "I can't imagine starting my school day with an empty stomach. Knowing that kids my age are struggling with this makes me want to help," said Wallis. "Together with Kellogg's, I want to help spread the word so other kids and families can help make a difference." Action for Healthy Kids Through AFHK's School Grants for Healthy Kids program and Kellogg's, they're working to help provide one million breakfasts during the 2015-2016 school year to kids across the country who otherwise might not get that first meal of the day by helping schools create or improve existing breakfast programs.2 Over the past four years, grants funded by Kellogg's, and awarded to schools by Action for Healthy Kids have provided more than 420 schools in 40 states support to increase participation in their school breakfast programs.