Celebrity Auction Will Benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee

According to Feeding America 15.9 million children lived in food insecure households in 2012. Hunger in America exists for over 50 million people. That is 1 in 6 of the U.S. population – including more than 1 in 5 children.

MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Yoplait® Greek yogurt has teamed up with Universal Music Group Nashville to help fight hunger.

The two came together to engage with country music’s finest in an effort to raise funds for food-insecure families in the Nashville area.

Artists including Luke Bryan, George Strait, Vince Gill, Easton Corbin, Dierks Bentley and more did their parts to raise funds for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee by signing an acoustic guitar, which will be auctioned off at leading charity auction site, Charitybuzz.com later this month.

Vince Gill Signs Guitar for Auction

Now, through December 3^rd, consumers can take part in the auction by visiting Charitybuzz at http://chrty.bz/17TxLum and placing a bid on a musical package including the guitar, signed by more than 12 Universal Music Group Nashville artists, and tickets to a Universal Music Group Nashville artist’s concert.

Luke Bryan Signs Guitar for Auction

“It’s an honor to be part of this campaign,” said Universal Music Group Nashville artist, Luke Bryan. “I’m happy to help raise money for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.”

Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is one of the largest food banks in the U.S., with a mission to feed hungry people and work to solve hunger issues in our community.

According to the USDA, an estimated 50.1 million Americans are at risk of hunger, and 16.7 million U.S. children under 18 are food insecure. In the state of Tennessee, one in four children are food insecure, and in Middle Tennessee alone, 31 percent of the people Second Harvest serves are children.

“No one should be hungry and I am honored to lend my name to help the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee,” said Country Music Hall of Fame member, Vince Gill.

Yoplait® Greek’s participation builds on Generals Mills’ commitment to taking action against food insecurity. Over the last decade, General Mills has donated nearly $240 million in food donations to Feeding America and its member food banks to help feed children and families throughout the United States.

“We understand the importance and urgency of helping to fight hunger,” said Liza Dopp, Yoplait® Greek marketing manager. “We want to do our part to help deliver food to families in need.”

All proceeds from the auction will benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.

About General Mills

General Mills is one of the world’s leading food companies, operating in more than 100 countries around the world. Its brands include Cheerios, Fiber One, Haagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Yoplait, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki, and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., USA, General Mills had fiscal 2013 worldwide sales of US $17.8 billion. Visit www.generalmills.com.

Yoplait is a registered trademark of YOPLAIT MARQUES (France) used under license.

About Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group is the global music leader, with wholly owned operations in 60 territories. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, one of the industry’s premier music publishing operations worldwide.

Universal Music Group’s record labels include A&M/Octone, Angel, Astralwerks, Blue Note, Capitol Records, Decca, Def Jam Recordings, Deutsche Grammophon, Disa, Emarcy, EMI Records Nashville, Fonovisa, Geffen Records, Interscope Records, I.R.S., Island Records, Machete Music, Manhattan, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Motown Records, Polydor Records, Republic Records, Universal Music Latino, Verve Music Group and Virgin Records, as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world.

The Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalogue of music in the industry, which includes the last 100 years of the world’s most popular artists and their recordings.

UMG’s catalogue is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes Global Digital Business, its new media and technologies division and Bravado, its merchandising company.

About Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee

Organized in 1978, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is a private, not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization. Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee’s mission is to feed hungry people and work to solve hunger issues in our community.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is one of the largest and most comprehensive of over 200 food banks and food distribution centers nationwide and also a member of Feeding America – The Nation’s Food Bank Network.

Second Harvest distributes food and other products to approximately 400 nonprofit partner agencies in 46 counties in Middle and West Tennessee.

Our partners include food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, childcare facilities, senior centers, group homes, and youth enrichment programs. For more information on Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and its programs, please visit secondharvestmidtn.org