Newton ShopRite employees to appear on Cheerios box for fighting hunger

NEWTON - Two associates from the ShopRite of Newton have been chosen to adorn the front of a limited-edition Cheerios box, in honor of their store’s commitment to fighting hunger in the community through the ShopRite Partners In Caring program. The boxes will be unveiled in a special ceremony at 1 p.m. on Nov. 11 at the ShopRite of Franklin/Sussex. Jill Kolucki, of Flanders, and Ashley Robbins, of Branchville, are two of the 51 associates featured on the limited edition Cheerios boxes that will go on sale November 13 -- a total of 25,000 Cheerios boxes will be available for sale. The limited-edition box is the fifth in a series, but the first time ShopRite employees have appeared on the front on the box. The box is designed to honor ShopRite workers who took part in a special week-long competition tied to National Hunger Awareness Day. The competition, sponsored by ShopRite Partners In Caring and General Mills, took place the first two weeks of June and challenged employees to raise both money and awareness to help fight hunger in the community. “Americans work hard to provide food for their families, but it isn’t always easy to make ends meet,” said Karen Meleta, ShopRite Partners In Caring spokeswoman. “The ShopRite Partners In Caring program helps to lessen the struggle for those who may need assistance in the local community. We are grateful for General Mills’ continued support in the fight against hunger and for the opportunity to reward the associates who are committed to the cause.” As part of the National Hunger Awareness Day competition, ShopRite Associates were challenged to design the most eye-catching in-store display, to draw attention to the hunger issue. The top 25 performing stores were declared winners based upon the following criteria: the creativity of their display, funds raised for ShopRite Partners In Caring,and hosting of events that increased awareness for the cause. ShopRite Associates raised a total of $116,753 through $1 donation cards offered to customers at checkout. General Mills added a $1 donation for every four General Mills products purchased by customers, up to $20,000. For more information on ShopRite Partners In Caring, visit www.shopritepartnersincaring.org.