Cheerios boxes feature ShopRite employees helping local food banks
By Mary Ellen Zangara Special Writer
Hillsborough ShopRite employees Tammy Brucculeri and Traze Hoerst will be featured on boxes of Cheerios for the third year in a row in recognition of their efforts for area food banks.
The two are among 60 ShopRite employees honored for their work for the General Mills’ Partners in Caring program. The Partners in Caring program helps fighting hunger in local communities.
The employees will appear on a special limited edition of 125,000 cereal boxes.
The Hillsborough store placed among the top 30 stores in a contest held in support of National Hunger Awareness Day sponsored by ShopRite and General Mills.
ShopRite employees have raised more than $330,000 during the two-week contest by offering $1 donation cards to customers at checkout, constructing awareness displays and holding events to support the cause.
General Mills donated an additional $20,000 to the ShopRite Partners in Caring Fund according to information provided by ShopRite.
The newest cereal box was unveiled at the store on Nov. 30.
”For over 20 years, we have been fighting that fight of hunger in the community,” Christine Magyarits, manager of the company’s community relations and corporate communications. “Tammy and Traze have worked so amazingly hard to achieve the position on the box once again this year.”
Ms. Magyarits said, thanks to Ms. Brucculeri and Ms. Hoerst’s efforts, the Hillsborough store placed second in the contest overall from over 200 stores.
”We are honored to save the community with these funds,” she said. “Hunger is real it’s not just homeless people walking on the street begging for food; it lurks behind every door.
”If someone loses their job or if a family has a castastrophic illness,” Ms. Magyarits said. “Those kinds of things impact people when they make decisions pay the electric bill or buy food. That’s why we are here with the ShopRite Partners in Caring program.”
This is the seventh annual ShopRite Fighting for Hunger Cheerios box and Hillsborough employees have been featured on the box for the past three years in a row. They raised over $10,000 this year alone, which was given to the Franklin Food Bank.
”Traze and I are featured on the box but of course we also had help from the front end,” Ms. Brucculeri said, citing the help of Lynnette Marsciano and the store’s cashiers. “Every other associate helped us by buying our hot dogs, our root beer floats, our crazy brownie sundaes and such. Our food bank received $500 from us that we presented to the mayor at a town meeting from Scrunchy.”
For raising the most funds out of 30 stores, Hillsborough ShopRite was awarded $500 which was given to the Franklin food bank because Hillsborough didn’t qualify for the funds.
”Our shoppers were the best,” Ms. Bruccileri said. “They helped us get to where we are so we thank all of you.”