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Give them lots and lots of oatmeal: Quaker Oats contest to help end hunger
Thursday, January 29, 2009
It's cold here. Very cold. My heating bill is astronomical and I've already worn through my cute little wellies this winter. And as much as I - and every other Chicagoan I know, love and nod at understandingly as we scrape ice from our windshields while our heaters blast and defrosters chug along and kids yell from inside the car in the early morning hours - complain about the winter, we also know how to do it right. We bundle. We huddle. We leap across puddles of slush. We shovel with one hand, hold a cup of coffee to sip in the other.
And of course, we eat oatmeal. I'm one of those hard-core breakfast mommies, anyway. And (shhh) although I admit to you that Lil E does eat his own bowl in front of "Martha Speaks" every morning, at least I know that while is little brain is mushing out (no! no! it's about learning words and ethical lessons!), his belly is full and warm and he's getting ready for a big, exhausting day of making pink flubber and pretending to be Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The oatmeal's the good stuff that gets it all started in the morning, before braving the elements and preschooler insistance on playing robot man. Again.
So when I was asked to be a part of the Quaker Oats Start With Substance campaign, I was thrilled. It includes this SWEET(i prefer with honey, Lil E loves the brown sugar) 25 Bloggers, 25 Days contest. For now, I am the blogger, and this is the day. Here is the fabulous part of this contest: It is a big push to get oatmeal out to the people in need. Quaker has a goal of giving out 1 million bowls of oatmeal to help end childhood hunger. How could anyone choose not to participate in that effort?
Now, on to the contest. The blogger who can cajole, bribe and sweet-talk (ok, maybe with maple syrup this time) friends and readers to vote (and the voting is fun and pretty cool, even to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) within 24 hours (GO, GO!) will win a $5000 donation to be designated to their hunger charity of choice by The Quaker Oats Company. It starts NOW. And here's what I am asking you to do to help us help kids get those full, warm, day-preparing bellies full of oatmeal:
1. Visit Start with Substance and read the rules.
2. Log in to your Facebook account (ha! as if you weren't already) and become a fan of the Quaker Oats Facebook page (little button on the right).
3. This is the fun part. Download the Quaker man face. Make it into a fancy mask, talk to him, ask him questions, propose he guest blog for you today...whatever tricks your trigger. Hey, print off four. Your kids and hubs will want one too.
4. Print it, take a photo or video of you, or a family member(s) with the Quaker man and upload your picture to the Quaker Facebook page.
5. Leave the URL of your photo or video in the comments here (this is critical so we can track how many of you are voting for lil ol Sassafrass to win this big thing).
Easy peasy, right? Check out the Facebook page. You will be hooked when you see the hilarious pictures.
A little something for you:
Quaker's given me two coupons, each good for $1.00 off two Quaker Oats' products, and they are for me to pass on to you. They've also given a case of oatmeal to a food bank, right here in the city where I'm shoveling snow. Leave a comment in this post and I will randomly choose two chatty readers to get the coupons. Again, so simple!
There's a bit more business to take care of, so do mind this official stuff:
The Quaker Man logo must remain in intact
and may not be modified in any manner. Readers must use the exact download of
the image, and all entries need to be wholesome in nature. No nudity,
defamation, obscene language or inappropriate, rude behavior in the photograph
submitted will be accepted. Compliance with these rules is subject to the sole
discretion of The Quaker Oats Company.This program is taking place over 25
business days and the blogger who gets the most Reader submissions by 9 a.m. CST
the following morning, (within 24 hours) will win the opportunity to select a
hunger charity of their choice to receive a $5000.00 donation made to the
charity by The Quaker Oats Company.
Won't you please join me in this cause that I know we all care about? I need your help, Quaker needs your help and, most of all, these kids need us all to take part in doing this the right way.
THIS ENDS TOMORROW MORNING AT 9 a.m.! So get cracking, my friends. Get on it and then get back to your oatmeal and sidewalk salting.
Reader Comments (2)