Inside General Mills
A ‘Total’ trip of a lifetime
July 12, 2010
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| Julieclaire and Marybeth Bond are biking across America to promote the benefits of nutrition and exercise in preventing osteoporosis. |
The self-described “Bond Girls” are promoting the benefits of exercise and nutrition to prevent osteoporosis, a silent disease that affects nearly half of women 50 or older.
And they’re doing so by bicycling across the United States, followed by a 27-foot motor home that looks like a giant Total cereal box on wheels. On cue, the mother-daughter team of MaryBeth and Julieclaire Bond extol the benefits of Total, which has more calcium and vitamin D than any other leading cereal.
“We eat it morning, noon and night,” said Julieclaire before loading up their motor home with several more cases of new varieties of Total. “We were running out.”
On to New York City
The Bonds began their 3,000-mile journey in San Francisco (their hometown) on June 3 and have already passed through Denver, Bentonville, Ark. (home to Walmart), and Minneapolis. The journey continues this week to Chicago and Cincinnati (home to Kroger) before ending in New York City.
They travel between 30 and 90 miles a day – depending on the headwinds they encounter – on tiny back roads they share with combines and other farm implements. “We’re usually hundreds of miles from the Interstate,” said Marybeth.
The Bonds are encouraging people to sponsor miles along the trip by visiting their website, BondGirlsBikeAmerica, for pledges to be donated to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. Total will match the donations up to $25,000 (with a minimum donation of $10,000).
“My family has a history of osteoporosis, so I am passionate about this health issue,” said Marybeth. “Between my mother, my sister and myself, we’ve lost six inches in height.”
They’ve raised about $5,000 so far and have been talking with reporters at every opportunity to share their story.
“You can help prevent this disease when you’re young,” said Julieclaire, explaining that 85 to 90 percent of woman’s bone mass is acquired by age 18.
Added Marybeth, “That’s my message to other moms: ‘Eat right and exercise.’”
Julieclaire is a recent graduate of Cornell University, where she was on the swim team. And Marybeth is an author of 11 books, including “50 Best Girlfriends Getaways in North America” that she is currently promoting.
Her skills as a writer shine through on the Total Facebook page that chronicles their trip. While the Bonds are always on message about Total, calcium and osteoporosis, it’s clear they’re on an experience of a lifetime.
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