Leap Into Baking Season and Help End Childhood Hunger With Share Our Strength's Great American Bake Sale®

Ninth Annual Great American Bake Sale Season Launches February 29th

National Challenge Weekend Set for April 20-22, 2012

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Feb 09, 2012, 03:26 ET

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Share Our Strength®, the nation's leading nonprofit working to end childhood hunger, encourages bakers everywhere to take their extra day in 2012 - Leap Day - and make it count by committing to host a bake sale to help end childhood hunger. Individuals and groups sign up to host bake sales in their local communities and send the funds they raise to support Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry® Campaign. The ninth annual Great American Bake Sale, presented by Domino Sugar®, C&H Sugar® and Duncan Hines®, officially launches on February 29 and runs through the end of the year.

In addition to the leap year launch, the Great American Bake Sale will hold its National Challenge Weekend April 20-22, with a goal of hosting 500 bake sales - at least 10 in every state - in one weekend. The first 300 bake sale hosts to submit $275 or more from bake sales held on National Challenge Weekend will receive a Jay at Play's Little Miss Muffin Pop N Flip™ toy, a 9" doll tucked inside rubber muffin cups, to thank them for their efforts.

"With one in five kids in America struggling with hunger, it's more important than ever to get involved and help connect children with the food they need," says Great American Bake Sale Director Amy Crowell. "It's one of the simplest and most enduring fundraising ideas around. Every year, we see families, kids, businesses, churches and organizations of every kind signing up to host sales and raise money to help make sure that every child in the U.S. gets the food he or she needs."

Since 2003, more than 1.2 million people have participated in the Great American Bake Sale, raising more than $8 million—funds Share Our Strength uses in a variety of ways, from working with Federal and state governments and local nonprofits to make sure that children and parents at-risk of hunger are using the nutrition programs they're eligible for; to educating families about how to plan, shop for and prepare the affordable, healthy meals; and advocating for change that will end childhood hunger in America.

"Every bake sale brings Share Our Strength one step closer to ending childhood hunger in America, whether it raises $50 or $5,000," Crowell says. "Our online Bake Sale Resource Center provides tools and ideas for making every bake sale as successful and fun as possible. Bakers will find planning checklists, templates for flyers, tips on location, pricing and photography and more all online. They can also be part of the bake sale community and share photos and experience from their individual or group events on our Facebook page."

Visit www.GreatAmericanBakeSale.org for additional information or, to get started right away, go to www.GreatAmericanBakeSale.org/signup.

About Share Our Strength's Great American Bake Sale
Share Our Strength's Great American Bake Sale, presented by Domino® Sugar and C&H® Sugar, and Duncan Hines®, is a national fundraising initiative that encourages Americans to host bake sales in their communities to support the No Kid Hungry® Campaign, Share Our Strength's® national effort to end childhood hunger in America by 2015. Since 2003, more than 1.2 million people have participated in Great American Bake Sale, raising more than $8 million to make sure there is no kid hungry in America. Great American Bake Sale is supported by official bakeware partner Chicago Metallic™, national television partner Food Network®, national magazine partner Family Circle™, official baking ingredient partner Solo and official toy partner Little Miss Muffin™. Visit GreatAmericanBakeSale.org.

About Domino Sugar/C&H Sugar
Domino® Sugar and C&H® Sugar are two of the leading brands of all natural, pure cane sugar in America. Together they are part of the Domino Foods, Inc. family of products. Domino® Sugar and C&H® Sugar have their own rich histories that each span over 100 years–Domino ® in the Northeast and C&H® in the Western part of the country. Domino Foods, Inc. is proud to offer bakers in America two of the nation's leading brands of fine quality pure cane sugar products.

About Duncan Hines
Duncan Hines® inspires today's passionate bakers to "bake on" by exploring the endless possibilities of innovative and decadent baking creations. The Duncan Hines product line includes more than 80 mixes ranging from cakes and brownies to muffins and cookies as well as Amazing Glazes™ dessert toppings and ready-to-spread frosting. With a relentless commitment to quality, every product and recipe is developed in celebration of Duncan Hines, a real man and foodie who, before Fodor's or Zagat, traveled the country in search of the best culinary and pastry inspiration. For more information on Duncan Hines, log onto www.duncanhines.com . Duncan Hines® is a portfolio brand of Pinnacle Foods Group LLC.