BOSTON – Yee-ha! September is Whole Grains Month and consumers can celebrate by joining The Whole Grains Stampede, a sweepstakes designed to bring these healthy and delicious nibbles top of mind. An initiative of Boston-based 501(c)3 educational non-profit Oldways and its Whole Grains Council (WGC), the sweepstakes will award one winner a year’s worth of Quaker products (a whole lotta whole grains) plus $5,000 to spend on groceries.
Whole grain lovers simply visit the WGC website in September and share their favorite whole grain products bearing the ubiquitous black-and-gold Whole Grain Stamp. Each entry will be included in a random drawing to win two amazing prizes:
• 1st Prize, courtesy of The Quaker Oats Company, includes $5,000 for groceries and a year’s worth of whole grain Quaker products delivered quarterly right to your doorstep – a total of 25,000 grams of whole grain!
• 2nd Prize – an iPad2, chock full of food and health apps, courtesy of Ultragrain from ConAgra Mills.
“With the Whole Grain Stamp now on nearly 6,000 products throughout the world, it is easier than ever to find great tasting and healthy whole grains,” said Cynthia Harriman, Director of Food and Nutrition Strategies for the Whole Grains Council and Oldways. “This September, for good health, we want a whole stampede of folks eating more whole grains and looking for them in every grocery store aisle.”
Studies show that eating whole grains instead of refined grains lowers the risk of many chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes, with some studies showing reduced risks from as little as one serving daily. Other benefits include reduced risk of asthma, healthier blood pressure levels, and better weight control.
To join the Stampede and qualify for the drawing, the Whole Grains Council invites consumers to visit the WGC website (www.wholegrainscouncil.org) anytime from September 1 – September 30 and report their favorite products bearing the Whole Grain Stamp. One first prize winner and one second prize winner will be selected via random drawing on October 6, 2011. In addition, the first 300 people to enter will receive a selection of discount coupons for delicious whole grain products. (One entry per person; must be 18 or older. For complete rules go to: http://wholegrainscouncil.org/get-involved/whole-grains-stampede-official-sweepstakes-rules)
Along with $5,000 toward grocery purchases, the first prize winner will receive a quarterly delivery of each of the following: 12 boxes of Quaker Chewy Granola Bars; 6 boxes of Quaker Oatmeal Squares; 3 boxes of Instant Quaker Oatmeal; and 3 boxes of Standard Quaker Oatmeal.
For more information about the Whole Grains Stampede, please visit: http://wholegrainscouncil.org/get-involved/celebrate-whole-grains-month-in-september
Please contact Rachel Greenstein (rachel@oldwayspt.org or 617-896-4888) for more information, including hi-res graphics, interviews with WGC and Oldways program managers, or recipes.
About Oldways and the Whole Grains Council
Oldways is an internationally-respected non-profit, changing the way people eat through positive and practical programs grounded in science and tradition. The Whole Grains Council (WGC) is an Oldways program working to increase consumption of whole grains for better health. WGC has promoted whole grains for better health since 2003 and introduced the Whole Grain Stamp in 2005. The WGC's many initiatives help consumers to find whole grain foods and understand their health benefits; help manufacturers and restaurants to create delicious whole grain foods; and help the media to write accurate, compelling stories about whole grains. You can learn more about both at http://www.oldwayspt.org and http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org.
About The Quaker Oats Company
The Quaker Oats Company, headquartered in Chicago, is a unit of PepsiCo, Inc., one of the world's largest consumer packaged goods companies. For more than 130 years, Quaker's brands have served as symbols of quality, great taste and nutrition. Holding No. 1 positions in their respective categories, Quaker Oats, Quaker Rice Cakes and Quaker Chewy Granola Bars are consumer favorites. For more information, please visit www.QuakerOats.com.
Source: Oldways and the Whole Grains Council