Kellogg's Frosted Flakes® is teaming up with UNC basketball star Armando Bacot to deliver much-needed funds—and fun! — to middle school sports nationwide

BATTLE CREEK, Mich., June 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Youth sports are missing a key player: Fun! That's why Kellogg's Frosted Flakes® and Tony the Tiger® are teaming up with the top college athletes to bring the fun that makes sports GRRREAT and deliver game-changing Mission Tiger™ donations — via education nonprofit DonorsChoose — to local middle schools this summer.

Over the past few years, there has been a notable lack of funding for middle school sports due to district-wide budget cuts. This has reduced sports programming and resulted in fewer teams — placing added pressure on kids to compete for limited spots on the team and ultimately leading to less fun in youth sports¹. Tony the Tiger and Kellogg's Frosted Flakes are jumping in with a big assist to put the fun back in middle school sports and keep kids in the game and being GRRREAT!

Tony the Tiger recruited University of North Carolina basketball forward Armando Bacot to kick things off. Together, they are visiting Food Lion in Pittsboro, North Carolina, on Tuesday, June 6 from 2-6 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to spend a fun-filled afternoon with Tony and Bacot playing games, taking photos and getting tips on how to have fun while playing youth sports. The duo will also deliver a game-changing donation to Brogden Middle School, funding sports equipment requested by teachers and coaches through DonorsChoose — giving more kids the opportunity to play and have fun in the process. 

"Kids are quitting sports by age 11² due to an economic crunch that cuts access and opportunities for them to play and just have fun," said Laura Newman, Sr. Director of Brand Marketing at Kellogg Company. "Kellogg's Frosted Flakes understands the vital role both fun and funding play in keeping kids in the game, so we've called on some of the most fun and talented college athletes to join our Mission Tiger team to help us bring fun back to youth sports and deliver donations to local middle schools."

TONY'S COLLEGE RECRUITS
UNC's star basketball forward Armando Bacot is the latest to join the Mission Tiger team alongside other superstar college athletes. Bacot's relentless passion for having fun while playing sports and his devotion to giving back to his community is the perfect addition to the Mission Tiger roster, kicking off a summer of fun with Kellogg's Frosted Flakes!

"It means a lot to give back to my community with Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, especially the young athletes in Chapel Hill," said UNC forward Armando Bacot. "I know there can be a lot of pressure on kids to make the varsity team or win the championship game, so I hope Tony the Tiger and I can help remind kids that the most important thing is to just go out there, do your best and have fun!"

Joined by a roster of top college athletes, Tony the Tiger will be visiting additional communities at retailers across the country this summer, including Albertsons, Giant Co., and Kroger, to spread the fun of middle school sports. Follow Kellogg's Frosted Flakes on Instagram and TikTok to see where Tony and his team are heading next!

MAKING A LOCAL IMPACT
In addition to amping up the fun of sports with Bacot, Kellogg's Frosted Flakes is helping create more opportunities for kids to play sports via Mission Tiger donations to local middle schools in North Carolina and other schools across the country.

"This Mission Tiger donation will go a long way to help us improve our sports programs, purchase new equipment and increase playing opportunities for our students, which will help ease some of the pressures kids feel to compete so they can just have fun," said Brogden Middle School Principal Anthony White. "We can't wait to hang out with Tony the Tiger and Armando Bacot on Tuesday!"

Kellogg's Frosted Flakes will also triple donations made toward eligible middle school sports projects in North Carolina via our nonprofit education partner DonorsChoose, up to $20,000, to help keep kids in the game.

Fans can support schools in their communities and help Mission Tiger impact 2 million kids by the end of 2024 by joining the mission, grabbing a box of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes and uploading their receipt to MissionTiger.com to spark a $2 donation to DonorsChoose.* For more information, visit FrostedFlakes.com or MissionTiger.com. 

*Kellogg is donating $2 per purchase to DonorsChoose with Kellogg's Frosted Flakes receipt upload. Min. Donation $250,000 - Max. $500,000. Go to missiontiger.com for instructions. Applies to purchases between 1/1/23 and 12/31/23; must upload within 30 days of purchase. 

About Kellogg Company
At Kellogg Company (NYSE: K), our vision is a good and just world where people are not just fed but fulfilled. We are creating better days and a place at the table for everyone through our trusted food brands. Our beloved brands include Pringles®, Cheez-It®, Special K®, Kellogg's Frosted Flakes®, Pop-Tarts®, Kellogg's Corn Flakes®, Rice Krispies®, Eggo®, Mini-Wheats®, Kashi®, RXBAR®, MorningStar Farms® and more. Net sales in 2022 were over $15.3 billion, comprised principally of snacks as well as convenience foods like cereal, frozen foods, and noodles. As part of our Kellogg's Better Days® Promise ESG strategy, we're addressing the interconnected issues of wellbeing, climate and food security, creating Better Days for 3 billion people by the end of 2030 (from a 2015 baseline). Visit www.KelloggCompany.com.

About DonorsChoose
DonorsChoose is the leading way to give to public schools. Since 2000, 5.7 million people and partners have contributed $1.4 billion to support over 2 million teacher requests for classroom resources and experiences. As the most trusted crowdfunding platform for teachers, donors, and district administrators alike, DonorsChoose vets each request, ships the funded resources directly to the classroom, and provides thank-you's and reporting to donors and school leaders. Charity Navigator and GuideStar have awarded DonorsChoose, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, their highest ratings for transparency and accountability. For more information, visit donorschoose.org.

About Brogden Middle School
Brogden Middle School provides students with a developmentally appropriate program that is designed to guide students through the transition from elementary to high school. Instruction is student centered and teaches skills for life-long learning, promotes responsibility, independence, self-reliance, and self-esteem. The vision of Brogden Middle School is to foster the community toward life long learning, thereby challenging each student to reach his/her full potential. A wide variety of academic and extracurricular activities all with the goal of developing self-disciplined and innovative thinkers.

¹ Source: Aspen State of Play 2022
² Source: Aspen State of Play 2022

SOURCE Kellogg Company