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Inside General Mills - May 10, 2010

Ten-year-old Catrina came to General Mills empty handed but left as a proud new owner of a golden retriever puppy, thanks to the Betty Crocker Stirring Up Wishes program with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Catrina is one of the inspiring kids whose wishes have been granted since Betty Crocker launched the program, which grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. 
 
General Mills Baking division employees, with the help of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Minnesota volunteers, planned a fun-filled day for Catrina, who is battling leukemia.

First, they greeted her and her mom with welcome signs and cheers. Catrina, apparently a big fan of cheese, was then off to the Betty Crocker dining room for some of her favorite foods – chips with cheese dip, cheese ravioli, cheese pizza, cheeseburgers, mashed potatoes and more – while tunes from "High School Musical" played in the background.

The meal was topped off in the Betty Crocker Kitchens as the group baked and frosted brownies, cookies and, of course, homemade dog biscuits.

Filled with fuel from the feast, Catrina and the group embarked on a 24-clue-long scavenger hunt around the General Mills campus.

“I hope there are 10 more clues because this is so fun!” she said after the first 10 stops, each of which had its own surprise – a leash, dog toys, shampoo.

A golden moment
When Catrina arrived at the last clue, Baking division employees parted to reveal a pen of nine golden retriever puppies. Catrina dove in and was all giggles as they played with her shoelaces and hair. In the end, she chose a lucky winner and named her Princess Bella.

Betty Crocker has been a long-time supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and its local chapters. Since 2005, Betty Crocker has donated more than $1 million to Make-A-Wish. In Minnesota, Betty Crocker has granted 50 wishes for local “wish kids” and their families, and another 20 wishes for other children across the country.

Two recent Stirring Up Wishes promotions have helped fund these wishes. This spring, for every specially marked Betty Crocker product purchased – including Bisquick and Warm Delights desserts – Betty Crocker donated 10 cents to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, with a guaranteed minimum donation of $250,000 and a maximum donation of $500,000.

In addition, consumers were encouraged to visit StirringUpWishes.com, donate $5 to help make a child’s wish come true, and got $5 in Betty Crocker coupons in return.

Inside General Mills