UNCLE BEN’S Brand Names Finalists In The Ben’s Beginners Cooking Contest

The UNCLE BEN’S Brand, the number-one selling brand of rice in the United States, today announced the 25 finalists from the Ben’s Beginnersâ„¢ Cooking Contest. For the third consecutive year, the Ben’s Beginnersâ„¢ Cooking Contest has brought parents and their kids together in the kitchen cooking healthy meals. The following finalists were selected out of entries from all over the United States:

• Jacob Anderson of Canton, OH
• Janie Wilson of Peabody, MA
• J’den Dorismond of Kissimmee, FL
• Maximo Garcia of Ontario, CA
• Carmen Gray of Seattle, WA
• Logan Hagene of Evanston, IL
• Elena Hirsch of West Bloomfield, MI
• Chloe Hornbostel of Edwards, CO
• Nicholas Hornbostel of Edwards, CO
• Hannah Kaufman of Woodstock, IL
• Cai Killings of Pembroke Pines, FL
• Olivia Ladaire of Laguna Beach, CA
• Sydney McCoy of Apex, NC
• Hayven Pasoni of Marion, IL
• Ariel Pinkston of Wichita, KS
• Arianni Ramirez of Kissimmee, FL
• Meagan Rich of Coarsegold, CA
• Danielle Roberts of Kingsport, TN
• Jasmy Mavilla of Lawrence, KS
• Maxwell Surprenant of Needham, MA
• Chandler Thomas of Missouri City, TX
• Elijah Thurner of Janesville, WI
• Catie Tomasello of Tampa, FL
• Zach Tomasello of Tampa, FL
• Ethan Woodson of Mesa, AZ

To qualify, each of the 25 finalists submitted videos of themselves and their families preparing a rice-based dish and discussing their experience cooking together. The 25 finalists and their families will now rally their communities to not only vote for their recipe, but support them as they work to inspire healthy lifelong eating habits by encouraging parents and kids to cook together.

“Each of these finalists have formed a unique bond with their families just by getting into the kitchen and cooking healthy meals and that’s the heart of the Ben’s Beginnersâ„¢ movement,” said Lara McCauley, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Mars Food North America, the parent company of the UNCLE BEN’S Brand. “Learning to cook is as essential as learning to read and write and these 25 finalists prove that an education in the kitchen is not only fun, but can lead to healthier lifestyle habits.”

Between now and November 26, 2014, individuals can visit www.unclebens.com to vote for one of the 25 finalists’ cooking videos. This year, five grand prize winners will be selected to each win $15,000 cash and a $30,000 cafeteria makeover for their child’s school. In addition to the prizes, each grand prize winner will receive a hometown celebration at their school where they will be joined by New York-based celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson. For more information on the contest, kid-friendly cooking tips and recipes, please visit www.unclebens.com.

Posted by Rachel Allan

11/17/14