ShopRite Launches ‘Designed to Fight Hunger’ Bag Contest

ShopRite Partners In Caring and General Mills have kicked off the second annual “Designed to Fight Hunger” contest. In support of its year-round hunger-fighting initiative, ShopRite is inviting aspiring artists to create original designs that could end up on reusable shopping bags to boost awareness of the issue of hunger.

As well as having his or her unique design decorating reusable bags exclusively sold at all 250 ShopRite locations, the grand-prize winner will receive $2,500, with a matching $2,500 donation going to his or her neighborhood food bank.

“Raising awareness of the issue of hunger is at the heart of the mission of ShopRite Partners In Caring,” explained Christine Magyarits, spokeswoman for the community-based initiative of Keasbey, N.J.-based Wakefern Food Corp. “Our customers have always been dedicated to helping us in this mission, and this contest is [a] great way to enlist their generous spirit in the fight against hunger.”

The judge’s panel will include the 2012 contest winner, Katrice Sylvester, of Williamstown, N.J., whose design (pictured above left, on a General Mills Cheerios box promoting the contest) can currently be seen on reusable bags at all ShopRite stores. Sylvester’s donation went to the Food Bank of South Jersey.

Customers can enter their design online; entries must be submitted by Dec. 31.

ShopRite Partners In Caring works with more than 50 food industry manufacturers to provide nearly $3 million annually to qualified charitable agencies in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Since it began in 1999, the initiative has donated nearly $30 million to more than 1,700 charities.