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Kellogg joins Children's Hospital cereal drive to help metro Detroit kids

Posted at 10:55 PM, May 23, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-23 22:55:00-04

From Cereal City to the Motor City.

Paul Norman of Kellogg came to Detroit Tuesday to pledge his company's support for an annual cereal drive that benefits kids.

"I am very privileged and honored on behalf of the Kellogg Company to bring to you a full truck of cereal so that you can feed kids throughout the summer," said Norman, president of Kellogg North America during a press conference in Detroit.

The cereal drive was started in 2010 at Children's Hospital of Michigan by the Professional Nurse's Council. They saw a need and acted.

"We would see our children come in in the summer and they would be in desperate need of food because they were no longer in school where they got their main food source during the school year," said Luann Thomas Ewald, president of Children's Hospital of Michigan.

The first year effort raised 160,000 cereal servings for children. Last year number of servings exceeded one million. 

"If you're hungry, you only have one problem and until you have that problem solved, you do not have the energy to solve the rest of the problems in your life," said Gerry Brisson, president of Gleaners Community Food Bank. 

Norman toured the Gleaners for the first time  on Tuesday. 

"When one in five kids here in Detroit go hungry or struggle with hunger everyday, it's up to companies like ours, who do breakfast the best, to make sure they get a breakfast, said Norman.

Children's Hospital teams compete to collect the most cereal. The Detroit Medical Center's other ten hospitals and clinics also participate in the drive. Nine other children's hospitals from around the country have also joined the drive. More than 70 Tenent hospitals nationwide are also supporting their local food banks collecting food and cereal the same week. 

This year's cereal drive will take place June 2-9. Click here for more information.