The Dinner Garden Receives $20,000 Birds Eye Grant to Help Local Communities Discover the Wonder of Vegetables

MOUNTAIN LAKES, N.J., Oct. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Announced today, The Dinner Garden will receive a $20,000 Birds Eye® "Share the Wonder" grant to provide seeds to families in need and teach them how to grow their own food. Pinnacle Foods' Birds Eye® brand kicked off the first-ever "Share the Wonder" grant program to provide financial rewards to nonprofit organizations that inspire communities and their children to discover the wonder of vegetables.

"On behalf of The Dinner Garden, we are so honored to have been awarded $20,000 from Birds Eye," explains Holly Hirshberg, The Dinner Garden founder and executive director. "With this Birds Eye grant, we will provide seeds to more than 11,000 people to start gardens for families of four. Birds Eye is helping us reach nearly 45,000 people to help educate them about vegetables."

The Dinner Garden was nominated for a Share the Wonder grant at www.facebook.com/BirdsEyeVegetables and was chosen as a finalist because of originality, the quality of the organization's vegetable-focused efforts, and its passion for vegetables. The Dinner Garden then rallied its own fans and followers to vote based on a video about its cause.

"At Birds Eye, we believe that everyone has the right to enjoy vegetables any time, any place, and we celebrate the organizations that make vegetables more enjoyable and accessible for their local communities and children," said Rodrigo Troni, vice president of marketing for Birds Eye. "We had an overwhelming response to the 'Share the Wonder' grant program. That's why we're thrilled to give The Dinner Garden this grant as one of nearly 100 organizations that applied to support its efforts to share the wonder of vegetables in its local community and to help Feed Kids Better."

Vegetables Anytime, Anywhere

Birds Eye helps people "Discover the Wonder of Vegetables™" by making them easy, delicious and accessible for everyone. With more than 40 unique vegetables offered and countless ways to enjoy them, from pure and simple vegetables and steamed varieties, to veggie powered recipes and complete vegetable rich meals, Birds Eye gives consumers limitless possibilities to get vegetables on their plates every day.

Visit www.facebook.com/birdseyevegetables for serving ideas, tips and tools to help make vegetables the star of the plate.

About Birds Eye

Birds Eye® unlocks the wonder of vegetables and makes them accessible and enjoyable to everyone, everyday. Using vegetables picked and frozen at their peak of freshness, Birds Eye® helps Americans make vegetables a meaningful part of everyday life. Providing a range of tasty and exciting solutions that make eating vegetables a memorable taste experience, Birds Eye® has something for everyone: with pure and simple vegetables under the Birds Eye®, C&W®, Freshlike® and McKenzie's® brand names; Birds Eye Steamfresh® vegetables and vegetable rich blends; and Birds Eye Voila!® complete frozen meals. For more information on Birds Eye® visit www.birdseye.com or www.facebook.com/BirdsEyeVegetables.

About Pinnacle Foods Group LLC

Millions of times a day in more than 85% of American households, consumers reach for Pinnacle Foods brands.  We are a leading producer, marketer and distributor of high-quality branded food products, which have been trusted household names for decades.  Headquartered in Mountain Lakes, NJ, our business employs more than 4,500 people in North America. We are a leader in the shelf stable and frozen foods segments and our brands hold the #1 or #2 market position in 8 out of 12 major category segments in which they compete. Our Duncan Hines Grocery Division manages brands such as Duncan Hines® baking mixes and frostings, Vlasic® pickles, peppers, and relish, Mrs. Butterworth's® and Log Cabin® syrups, Armour® canned meats, Nalley® and Brooks® chili and chili ingredients, and Open Pit® barbecue sauces. Our Birds Eye Frozen Division manages brands such as Birds Eye® vegetables, Birds Eye Steamfresh®, C&W®, McKenzie's® and Freshlike® vegetables, Birds Eye Voila!® meals, Aunt Jemima® frozen breakfasts, Swanson® and Hungry-Man® dinners and entrees, Van de Kamp's® and Mrs. Paul's® seafood, Lender's® bagels and Celeste® frozen pizza. Our Specialty Food group manages Tim's Cascade Snacks®, Hawaiian™ Kettle Style Potato Chips Snyder of Berlin® and Husman's® in addition to our food service and private label businesses. Further information is available at www.pinnaclefoods.com.

About The Dinner Garden

In the face of the recession a San Antonio woman, Holly Hirshberg began to help communities weather tough times by growing produce themselves.  She began giving away fruit and vegetable seeds and teaching others how to grow their own food.  Out of her initiative came The Dinner Garden, which helps share the wonder of vegetables by providing people with vegetable seeds, free of charge and supports their efforts with gardening information and tips for cheap gardening.  Today, the nonprofit has gardeners in all 50 states, has given seeds to over 72,000 families, 180 community gardens, and has more than 50,000 families on their waiting list: www.dinnergarden.org.

SOURCE Pinnacle Foods Group LLC