Interview with Martina McBride: “Save Lids to Save Lives”
By: Markos Papadatos, Contributing Editor
On Oct. 2, country music superstar and Republic Nashville recording artist Martina McBride chatted with Markos Papadatos about her partnership with General Mills’ “Save Lids to Save Lives.”
General Mills is teaming up with country songstress Martina McBride to help raise breast cancer awareness. For the first time in its 14-year history, the “Save Lids to Save Lives” campaign is expanding beyond Yoplait to include more than twenty popular General Mills products such as Green Giant, Nature Valley, Honey Nut Cheerios, Fiber One, Progresso, Pillsbury and Betty Crocker.
“I am so honored and excited to partner with General Mills to help raise awareness of this illness that has touched so many lives,” the country sensation remarked. “Too many of us know someone who is dealing with breast cancer. It is hard to believe, but one in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. As a woman and a mother of three girls, this truly is an important cause to support. I am so proud to help raise awareness for a campaign that supports an organization, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which is dedicated to saving lives and ending breast cancer forever,” McBride added.
McBride continued, “My main focus is on helping to raise awareness of ‘Save Lids to Save Lives’ and how one can easily get involved in the fight against breast cancer. Zip codes from lids redeemed are actually tracked to make sure that donations benefit breast cancer outreach programs right in your local community. ‘Save Lids to Save Lives’ is a great way for communities to come together to fight breast cancer.”
“If it’s your neighbor who is undergoing radiation therapy or your sister who was just diagnosed, or if you know anyone in your community who is battling this disease it’s so important to support them. Whether it’s volunteering at a local hospital, participating in a charity walk, or mailing in your pink lids, there are so many ways to get involved in the fight. If we work together, I have faith that one day we will find a cure,” the country queen added.
McBride’s inspirational “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” from her latest album “Eleven” has become an anthem for breast cancer survivors and their family members. “One of the things that is so rewarding as an artist is when you find a song that really touches people and means something special to them. The song was inspired by the story of one of the writers of the song, who has a very close family member who had been on this journey. When I first heard it, I knew it was a song I wanted to record because of the strong message of hope that it sends. I believe this song will continue to offer hope and inspiration to so many people who are going through or have been through cancer and the people who love them through it,” McBride revealed.
When asked how people can get involved to support this cause, McBride stated, “It is so easy. Once you’re back from the grocery store, just clip, collect and mail in all of your pink lids together by June 30, 2013. Some Yoplait lids include a code that can even be redeemed online. For each pink lid and online code received, General Mills will donate 10 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, up to a maximum of $2,500,000. General Mills has already donated $500,000 and will donate up to an additional $2,000,000 based on lids submitted, codes redeemed online and other consumer actions. It really is that easy to get involved and support the cause,” she acknowledged.
According to Cheryl Welch, the Director of “Save Lids to Save Lives” at General Mills, she remarked, “We’re proud to have expanded our support to include numerous brands in addition to our long-standing Yoplait program so you can help make a difference in your community’s fight against this disease.”
Welch added, “The numbers are sobering; one in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime and because the disease touches so many lives, it’s critical that our work directly serves those impacted by the disease.”
In addition, consumers can dedicate their lids to the people that have inspired them to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer and they can read stories about the people that are making local impacts for this cause.
Thanks to its “Save Lives to Saves Lives,” “Pink Together” and other initiatives, General Mills has contributed over $50 million to the breast cancer cause.
To obtain a complete list of participating brands, as well as to find out how you can make a difference in the fight against breast cancer, check out the official website for “Save Lives to Save Lives” here at https://savelidstosavelives.com/.
McBride concluded by sharing her definition of the word success. “There are many definitions of success,” she admitted. “For me, if I am able to keep connecting with my fans and making music that they relate to, that’s success, as well as being there for my family. On a good day, when I feel like I do both well, I feel like I’ve truly succeeded.”
Photo credit: Scott Vollweiler
