Spartan Kids Foundation Teams Up with Blessings in a Backpack to Raise Funds for Food-Insecure Children

The Spartan Kids Foundation, the not-for-profit arm of Spartan, has formed an alliance with Blessings in a Backpack — one of the nation’s largest providers of donated meals for kids — to launch a fundraising campaign to help meet today’s challenge of food insecurity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program will be managed by GoFundraise, the state-of-the-art digital technology charity platform.

COVID-19 has over 40 percent of American families worried about how to feed their children right now. Even more disturbingly, 18 million children are projected to be experiencing food insecurity. They do not know where their next meal will come from, plain and simple.

DONATE NOW: Click Here to Help Feed the Children

“Spartans are great at overcoming obstacles,” said Spartan founder and CEO Joe De Sena. “It’s what we do. It’s why we're unbreakable. Today, I’m asking you to join me and our great partner, Blessings in a Backpack, to help millions of less fortunate families overcome a major obstacle in their lives: not being able to feed their kids.”

“Since 2008, Blessings has provided over 20 million hunger-free weekends to children," said Blessing in a Backpack CEO Brooke Wiseman, "and we’re excited to be partnering with the Spartan community to raise additional funds, to expand our ability to help even more food-insecure kids in this crucial time of need.”

The Campaign: Families Helping Families

The new Feed the Kids national fundraiser will empower families and their kids — based on their donations — to participate in a virtual race from home, with proceeds providing meals for less fortunate children. Just $4 will be able to supply a full weekend of meals to a child. Families will be asked to sign up and create their own fundraising page to promote to their networks. Free tickets to a Spartan Kids race and an adult race will also be awarded to donors who reach their target contribution levels. To sign up, donate, and learn more, click here.

More: Spartan Kids Foundation and Blessings in a Backpack Provide Meals for Over 8,500 Children

20 Million Hunger-Free Weekends Nationwide

Blessings in a Backpack mobilizes communities, individuals, and resources to provide food on the weekends for elementary school children across America who might otherwise go hungry. Incorporated in 2008, Blessings is the only national organization solely dedicated to preventing childhood hunger on the weekends. More than 600,000 kids have benefitted from their program, which has provided 20 million hunger-free weekends nationwide. Blessings strives to ensure that children do not go hungry on the weekends by empowering individuals and communities to take action. With your support, Blessings hopes to reach more than 100,000 children by 2022, resulting in more than 3.5 hunger-free weekends that school year.

Health and Fitness Programs for Over 50,000 Underserved Children

Since its inception four years ago, the Spartan Kids Foundation has helped bring better health and fitness programs to over 50,000 underserved children in more than 200 schools and youth organizations. SKF has also distributed over 1,500 free Spartan Kids race tickets to children who could not otherwise afford to attend. Last year, SKF launched the SKF Fitness Grants initiative, which has awarded $1,000 cash stipends for 30 Title I schools nationwide.