LAS VEGAS, March 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- General Mills Inc. (NYSE: GIS) announced today a product donation made by Cheerios Racing and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) driver Austin Dillon at the Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas.  Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Cheerios Chevrolet SS for Richard Childress Racing, will be on hand to assist with the 15-pallet delivery of General Mills product to Three Square, which is Southern Nevada's only food bank that provides wholesome food to those who are food insecure.

"I'm really proud to be teaming up with Cheerios to donate General Mills product to underprivileged families in the Las Vegas area," said Dillon.  "Visiting Nellis Air Force Base today and also having the opportunity to give back to the men and women who fight for our country is an amazing experience and one that I'll never forget.  I'll be thinking of them tomorrow as I climb into the No. 3 Cheerios Chevrolet SS at Las Vegas Motor Speedway."

This partnership comes at an opportune time as General Mills' Cheerios brand makes its first appearance of the 2014 NSCS season as primary sponsor for Dillon's No. 3 this weekend.

"This is a great opportunity for General Mills to give back to the Military and families in need," said Brett Fish, Commissary Retail Manager, General Mills. "The partnership with the management team at the Nellis AFB Commissary helped bring this all together."

The donation equals 8,000 pounds of assorted General Mills' products which will feed nearly 7,000 hungry individuals in Southern Nevada.

"On behalf of Three Square and the more than 600 Program Partners that we work with, we want to say thank you to General Mills and Cheerios Racing for their partnership and generosity," said Dan Williams, Chief Operating Officer of Three Square Food Bank.  "With more than 340,000 individuals in Southern Nevada who don't always know where their next meal is coming from, donations such as this are a tremendous help."

In addition to the product donation, the 2014 NSCS Rookie of the Year contender will spend time interacting with military personnel to take pictures and sign autographs.  The No. 3 Cheerios Chevrolet SS showcar and simulator will also be onsite along with Dillon's team to conduct pit stop demonstrations.  Throughout the day, General Mills will be giving away tickets to watch Dillon compete in the NSCS KOBALT 400 on Sunday, March 9 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

About CheeriosCheerios, America's No. 1 cereal, debuted in 1941 as Cheerioats.  The nation's first ready-to-eat oat cereal has since become one of the most trusted and recognized brands in America.  In fact, one of every 10 boxes of cereal sold in America is a box of Cheerios.  General Mills' popular franchise includes Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Multi Grain Cheerios, Multi Grain Cheerios Peanut Butter, Chocolate Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios, Fruity Cheerios, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, Dulce de Leche Cheerios, Berry Burst Cheerios, Yogurt Burst Cheerios, Banana Nut Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch.  Cheerios also has a publishing division that includes the popular Cheerios Play Books and other activity books.  For more information, go to www.cheerios.com.

About General Mills General Mills is one of the world's leading food companies, operating in more than 100 countries around the world. Its brands include Cheerios, Fiber One, Haagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Yoplait, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki, and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., USA, General Mills had fiscal 2013 worldwide sales of US $17.8 billion. Visit www.generalmills.com.

About Three Square Food BankEstablished in 2007 to provide hunger relief, Three Square Food Bank offers wholesome, nutritious food to non-profit and faith-based organizations, schools and feeding sites that serve a wide range of Southern Nevadans. A national model project inspired by founder Eric Hilton with a grant provided by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Three Square is a community collaborative partnership with businesses, non-profit agencies, food distributors, higher education institutions, the Clark County School District, governmental entities, the media and thousands of volunteers to efficiently and effectively serve hope to those in our community struggling with hunger. Three Square currently provides more than 30 million pounds of food and grocery product – the equivalent of more than 25 million meals – per year to more than 600 Program Partners. Three Square is a member of the Feeding America network of food banks. For additional information visit www.threesquare.org. For the latest news and events on Three Square, visit www.facebook.com/ThreeSquareFoodBank and follow them on Instagram (@threesquarelv) as well as Twitter (@threesquarelv).

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140308/NY76798 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130827/NY68267LOGO-b

SOURCE Cheerios

RELATED LINKShttp://www.cheerios.comhttp://www.generalmills.com