Rock Hill, SC – Piedmont Medical Center is leading a community effort to provide area children struggling with hunger with a healthy breakfast during the summer through its Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive benefitting Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, a member of the Feeding America network. The drive begins Friday, May 29 and runs through Friday, June 5.

Employees are invited to a Bowl Over Hunger kick-off celebration on Thursday, May 28, 11am-1pm in the Women’s Tower Auditorium. This highly interactive event will feature cereal bowling, giveaways and an announcement of PMC’s goal for the cereal drive.

 “At Piedmont Medical Center, we recognize hunger exists in every city in America, and our staff is eager to join the fight against hunger and make a difference in our community,” said Bill Masterton, Chief Executive Officer of Piedmont Medical Center. “We recognize the importance of good nutrition on good health and hope that, through this drive, we can help those struggling with food insecurity.”

“We are excited to be partnering with Piedmont Medical Center for this drive. It is happening at a very critical time for families at risk of hunger. As summer break approaches, children across the region who are dependent on free and reduced meal programs will no longer have that option,” says Kay Carter, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. “This time of the year brings about stress for both children and their parents who are trying to make ends meet. The food collected from this drive and other drives will help fill the pantries of these families during this period of uncertainty.”

Whole-grain cereal, when part of a healthy, balanced breakfast including dairy, fruit and lean protein, is a popular food item that experts say can easily address the hunger gap during the summer months when children are not in school. Healthy cereal contains one serving of whole grain, no more than 200 calories per serving, six grams or less of sugar and at least three grams of fiber per serving. It should also be free of artificial colors and dyes.

Donations of healthy cereal to the Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive will be collected from May 29 through June 5 at 222 S. Herlong Avenue. To provide a monetary donation for perishable breakfast items, All are invited to contribute.

About Piedmont Medical Center
Piedmont Medical Center is a full service 288-bed hospital serving York, Lancaster and Chester counties. Piedmont has more than 350 physicians on staff, representing a broad range of over 40 medical specialties and subspecialties. The hospital’s main campus includes the Heart and Vascular Center which offers comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services, including an accredited Chest Pain center with PCI designation. This designation means Piedmont can provide emergency coronary interventions such as balloon angioplasty and stent placement. Piedmont has offered a heart surgery program to the community since 1997. Piedmont is also an Advanced Primary Stroke Center honored with a Get with the Guidelines Gold Plus Honor Roll Elite Award.

PMC has earned the SC Distinguished Hospital of the Year Award from DHEC in 2010 and 2013 and currently boasts a fourth straight semester with a Leapfrog Hospital Safety Score Grade of “A”.

Piedmont provides emergency services in our newly expanded Emergency Department, an accredited cancer program, endoscopy, a bariatric medicine program, women’s services in The Women’s Center, orthopaedics, neurosurgery and psychiatric services. The medical center has several outpatient facilities, including diagnostic services, Sleep Center and Wound Care Center.  Piedmont is affiliated with Piedmont Physician Network, a network of primary and sub-specialty physician practices (www.pmcphysiciannetwork.com).

About Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina
As part of Feeding America, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina – serves 19 counties in North and South Carolina. In FY2013-2014 Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina distributed over 45 million pounds of food and essential grocery items to almost 650 hunger feeding agencies. Agencies served include emergency pantries, soup kitchens, senior programs, shelters and low-income daycares.