Blessings in a Backpack to host Breakfast of Champions

Celebrity athletes, Tony the Tiger to inspire SWFL children
Note to Media: This is an updated alert. Please disregard the alert that was sent on April 23. Note the revised times that the athletes will arrive and the program will start.
Decorated champions from a diverse array of sports will speak with 200 Southwest Florida children who benefit from Blessings in a Backpack, which provides food for students every weekend during the school year.
WHAT: Blessings in a Backpack and Champions 4 Children are partnering to feed underprivileged children in Southwest Florida and show them they can overcome difficulty to become champions in life. Nearly two dozen sports champions will deliver messages of hope, determination and inspiration to the children, who’ll receive a free breakfast and also get to meet Tony the Tiger of Frosted Flakes fame.
Cheerleaders from Cypress Lake High School will be on hand to help introduce the following champions scheduled to attend:
·      1995 NFL No. 1 overall pick Ki-Jana Carter
·      2004 World Series champion Boston Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo
·      1993 NFL first-round pick O.J. McDuffie
·      1978 Final Four Most Outstanding Player and former Atlanta Hawk Jack “Goose” Givens
·      Former NFL lineman Matt Vanderbeek
·      Super Bowl XIX and XXV champion placekicker and former NASL player Matt Bahr
·      1990 NFL No. 1 overall pick Jeff George
·      Miami Dolphins Super Bowl XVII and XIX starting running back Tony Nathan
·      Three-time PGA champion Nolan Henke
·      Former NFL and Penn State All-American offensive lineman Chris Conlin
·      Former NFL offensive lineman Tom Toth
·      12-year PGA veteran and Naples native George McNeill
·      U.S. National Champion amputee golfer Kenny Bontz
·      Former Washington Redskins center Mike Scully
·      Former University of Kentucky and All-SEC basketball player Jim Andrews
·      Former Oakland A’s, Tampa Bay Rays and Bishop Verot outfielder Adam Piatt
·      Former Miami Dolphins and Illinois All-Big Ten offensive lineman Scott Kehoe
·      Former Illinois offensive lineman Tim Scully
·      Three-time NCAA champion wrestler Pat Milkovich
·      International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness Bikini Pro Laurin Conlin
·      Former Penn State All-Big Ten offensive lineman Keith Conlin
WHEN: Friday, April 26, 2018. The champions are expected to arrive between 8:45-9 a.m. for media interviews. The program will tentatively start at 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, 13350 FSW Parkway, Fort Myers
WHY: Blessings in a Backpack provides food on Friday afternoons to more than 3,000 students in Southwest Florida so they have something to eat on weekends, when they’re not covered by free and reduced-price school breakfasts and lunches. But the need is even greater. There are 60,000 elementary students across Lee and Collier counties who don’t have enough food on the weekends.
Blessings in a Backpack strives to meet the demand and benefits from its partnership with Champions 4 Children, which will hold fundraisers from April 26-28. For more information, visit champions4childrenswfl.com and blessingsinswfl.org.
CONTACT: Josh Milton, Vice President of Media Relations at CONRIC PR & Marketing, 239-690-9840, [email protected]