Bethlehem ShopRite workers get faces on cereal box

Many young athletes dream of growing up and having their picture on a Wheaties box, but for staff at ShopRite stores, getting on a Cheerios box is the big honor.

Photos of 100 ShopRite associates will appear on limited-edition Cheerios boxes as part of an annual tradition recognizing associates for fighting hunger in the communities where ShopRite stores operate.

This year two Lehigh Valley staffers, Bethlehem ShopRite associates Kira Freeman and Terri Gudzinas of Easton, will be featured on the box.

The store associates are featured on the box, which was unveiled at in-store ceremonies, in recognition of their fundraising efforts to support regional food banks.

To earn a spot on the cereal box, ShopRite associates participate in the annual ShopRite Partners In Caring Cheerios Contest competition sponsored by ShopRite and General Mills.

The staffers helped to collect donations at check-out and in-store. The campaign also encouraged customers to round their grocery purchases up to the nearest dollar to help in the effort.

ShopRite and General Mills recognize the 45 top fundraising ShopRite stores. These winning stores then select two ShopRite associates to be featured on the Cheerios box. The customized cereal boxes are sold exclusively at ShopRite.

“This past year we saw food banks working overtime as more families found themselves facing food insecurity during the pandemic,” said Rob Zuehlke, ShopRite’s manager of Corporate Social Responsibility. “We’re proud to be able to support these regional food banks in the Feeding America network and extend a sincere thank you to our hardworking associates and generous customers who sustain this annual contest and make a difference in our communities.”

In addition to the unveiling, each ShopRite location presented a $500 donation to a local food bank, made possible by the prize money received from the contest.

The company-wide fundraising efforts this year raised $1 million for regional food banks.