18 School Districts Across the State Kickoff the Maryland Breakfast Challenge

School breakfast fuels academic success. Yet each day, too many Maryland students miss out. During the 2014-2015 school year, schools across Maryland can connect more students with breakfast and win cash and prizes by joining the Maryland Breakfast Challenge. On Friday, Sept. 19, schools across the state will host kickoff events to launch the 2014 Maryland Breakfast Challenge.

“Breakfast can change a student’s life. It means higher test scores, higher graduation rates and higher wages down the line,” said Molly McCloskey, Director of the Maryland No Kid Hungry Campaign. “Schools that have high breakfast participation see better attendance rates and more focused, engaged students. We can’t let thousands of kids continue to miss out on these benefits.”

On Friday, Sept. 19, at least 18 of the state’s 24 school districts are hosting kick-off events for the 2014 Maryland Breakfast Challenge.

In Maryland, an overwhelming three out of five public school teachers say they have children in their classrooms who regularly come to school hungry because they’re not getting enough to eat at home, according to research from Deloitte.

“Only 60 percent of students in Maryland who receive a free lunch at school are currently getting a school breakfast,” said Robert A. Stern, chair, Sodexo Foundation. “Together we can close that gap.” Critical support for the Maryland Breakfast Challenge and all No Kid Hungry work in Maryland is provided by Sodexo Foundation.

The Maryland Breakfast Challenge aims to connect 10,000 more students with school breakfasts. In each county across Maryland, pre-K-12 public schools that show the highest increase in breakfast participation will be eligible to win cash prizes, in-school celebration events with a professional football player and more. To enroll or learn more, visit www.MarylandBreakfastChallenge.org.

School districts hosting kick-off events include:

· Allegany, at the Career Center

· Anne Arundel, at all schools

· Baltimore City, at Cecil Elementary

· Baltimore County, at Edmonston Heights Elementary

· Calvert, at Dowell Elementary School

· Carroll, at Wolfe Elementary

· Cecil, at Elkton Middle School

· Charles, at J.P. Ryon Elemand Henry E. Lackey High

· Dorchester, at Vienna Elementary

· Frederick, at the Great Frederick Fair City Streets and Country Roads exhibit

· Garrett, at the Deep Creek 2014 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships

· Harford County, at Dublin Elementary

· Howard, at Bryant Woods Elementary

· Kent, at Galena Elementary

· Montgomery, at Francis Scott Key Middle School

· Prince George’s, at Judge Sylvania Woods Elementary*

· Queen Anne’s, at Kent Island High School and Matapeake Elementary

· Wicomico, at Westside Intermediate

* The event in Prince George’s County was held early on Wednesday, Sept. 17.

The 2014 Maryland School Breakfast Challenge Partners include the No Kid Hungry campaign, the Maryland Department of Education, Action for Healthy Kids, Family League of Baltimore, Maryland Hunger Solutions, Maryland State Education Association and the Mid Atlantic Dairy Association. Tyson and Kellogg’s sponsor the No Kid Hungry Starts with Breakfast campaign nationwide.

About the Maryland No Kid Hungry Campaign
Maryland’s Governor Martin O’Malley is the first Governor in the nation to commit to ending childhood hunger. To make this commitment a reality, Governor O’Malley, the Governor’s Office for Children and the national anti-hunger nonprofit Share Our Strength, announced the creation of a strong new coalition to end childhood hunger in Maryland by 2015. The Partnership to End Childhood Hunger in Maryland, chaired by Maryland No Kid Hungry, aims to raise awareness about childhood hunger in the state, increase participation in nutrition programs that combat hunger, and has developed a robust plan with yearly goals and strategies to coordinate the work of member organizations across the state. The campaign in Maryland is generously supported by presenting sponsor, Sodexo Foundation, as well as sponsors C&S Wholesale Grocers, Yum-o! and The Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation, Inc.