McKee Foods Gives Over $1 Million To The Outdoor Happiness Movement

Helping to give America a place to run, jump and play!

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Mar 24, 2014, 12:34 ET

COLLEGEDALE, Tenn., March 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- McKee Foods, owned and operated by the McKee family, has committed to donate more than $1 million dollars over the next five years in an initiative called the "Outdoor Happiness (OH!) Movement." The McKee family and its team will support one OH! Movement project in each of the 50 states until 2019. That is 50 projects in 50 states over the course of 5 years.

The OH! Movement represents a long-standing tradition in the McKee family in that since 2009, they have already given more than $2.8 Million to support the creation and preservation of parks, greenways and other outdoor spaces. Past McKee family contributions have gone to support projects and organizations such as:

Stringer's Ridge Park
Nature Conservancy of Tennessee
Chattanooga Riverwalk Fund
Bauxite Land Donation to Make Public Trails
Collegedale Greenway and Parks

"McKee Foods is more than just a collection of brands, it is a family-run company known for giving back to the community," states Chris McKee, Executive Vice President of marketing and sales for McKee Foods. "We want to share our passion for being outdoors with all of America."

People interested in learning more about the movement can visit OutdoorHappinessMovement.com to hear about upcoming projects across the US. Visitors to the site can also make a pledge to go outside, have fun and find what makes them happy. For each person who takes the pledge, McKee Foods will donate additional funds above the $1 million goal. For more information, or to join McKee Foods in its mission to get the country outside, please visit OutdoorHappinessMovement.com.

About the OUTDOOR HAPPINESS MOVEMENT:
McKee Foods is committed to helping communities across the country enjoy an active outdoor lifestyle by partnering with organizations that make public greenways, trails and parks available and places people want to visit. We believe that these green spaces provide opportunities for outdoor activity that ultimately lead to a fun and active lifestyle.

About McKee Foods:
McKee Foods, a family bakery with annual sales of about $1.2 billion, is a privately held company based in Collegedale, Tenn. The McKee Foods story began during the height of the Great Depression when founder O.D. McKee began selling 5-cent snack cakes from the back of his car. Soon after, he and his wife, Ruth, bought a small, failing bakery, using the family car as collateral. Today, the company employs more than 5,000 people in Collegedale, Tenn.; Gentry, Ark.; Stuarts Draft, Va.; and Kingman, Ariz. It creates and produces Little Debbie® Snacks, Drake's Cakes, Sunbelt Bakery® snacks and cereals, Heartland® and Fieldstone™ Bakery food products. Visit McKeeFoods.com for more information.

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SOURCE McKee Foods