David Street Station Receives National Grant -- McKee Foods

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Aug 25, 2016, 08:30 ET

COLLEGEDALE, Tenn., Aug. 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On Monday, Aug. 1, 2016, the Casper Downtown Development Authority (DDA) was awarded a grant from McKee Foods Corporation to help continue moving the Casper downtown public plaza forward. The grant is part of a McKee Foods initiative called OH! — the Outdoor Happiness movement. McKee Foods is working with every state in the country to discover how each and every person can find their own Outdoor Happiness! They will contribute to 50 projects in 50 states over a five-year period, providing $1 million plus to the cause.

Casper DDA accepts donation from McKee Foods -- OH! - the Outdoor Happiness movement. Pictured left to right: Kevin Hawley, CEO; Brandon Daigle, Chairman; Brettnee Tromble, Treasurer.

For more information, please contact Kevin Hawley, CEO of the Downtown Development Authority at (307) 235-6710 or ceo@downtowncasper.com — For more information, please contact Kevin Hawley, CEO of the Downtown Development Authority at (307) 235-6710 or [email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160824/400968
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160824/400967

"We've been working with people in various communities to identify needs and select where we can be of greatest value. The project in Casper is an example of our commitment to this cause," said Chris McKee, executive vice president of Marketing & Sales at McKee Foods. "Getting people outside and happy is what the OH! — the Outdoor Happiness movement is all about."

According to Kevin Hawley, DDA Executive Director, "A common sight will be smiling children laughing and playing while exploring the many features and amenities, including a free splash park. Other common sights will include engaged families enjoying quality time together during one of the many free movie nights hosted in the plaza or during an outdoor skating experience in the winter season. Additional activities will include concerts, festivals, farmer's markets, fundraisers and other family-friendly community events. Casper is a community that has been made great not by our wondrous surroundings or natural resources but by the people who live here. David Street Station is a hub for Casper, a place where we can come together with our friends, neighbors, family and even strangers to celebrate our amazing community."

DDA Board Chairman, Brandon Daigle, said, "This grant is another step in the right direction as we work to bring David Street Station online by this time next year. It still hasn't sunk in that McKee Foods, a company that does international business and is located 1,500 miles away, recognizes the benefits of this project and believes in our community to this level — it's just amazing. The board, staff and community supporters of David Street Station are honored and humbled to have been selected as the recipient for the state of Wyoming and will make McKee Foods proud!"

People interested in learning more about the movement can visit OutdoorHappinessMovement.com to hear about upcoming projects across the U.S. Visitors to the site can also make a pledge to go outside, have fun and find what makes them happy.

For more information, please contact Kevin Hawley, CEO of the Downtown Development Authority at (307) 235-6710 or Email.

About OH! — 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. We believe that these green spaces provide opportunities for outdoor activity that ultimately lead to a fun and active lifestyle. McKee Foods, owned and operated by the McKee family, has committed to donate more than $1 million over the next five years in an initiative called OH! — the Outdoor Happiness movement. The OH! movement represents a long-standing tradition in the McKee family in that since 2009, it has given more than $2.8 million to support the creation and preservation of parks, greenways and other outdoor spaces. For more information, or to join McKee Foods in its mission to get the country outside, please visit OutdoorHappinessMovement.com.

About McKee Foods:
McKee Foods, a family bakery with annual sales of about $1.4 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 bakery on Main Street in Chattanooga, Tenn., using the family car as collateral. Today, the company employs more than 5,750 people in Collegedale, Tenn.; Gentry, Ark.; Stuarts Draft, Va.; and Kingman, Ariz. It creates and produces Little Debbie^® baked goods, Drake's^® cakes, Sunbelt Bakery^® snacks and cereals, Heartland^® brands and Fieldstone^® Bakery food products. Visit mckeefoods.com for more information.