Wheaties Teams Up With Miami Project and Top Athletes to Help Find Cure for Paralysis.

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 7, 1998--General Mills is unveiling three special edition Wheaties boxes that feature legendary athletes and a new program to support the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis at the Thirteenth Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner in New York, Tuesday at 6:30pm at the Waldorf Astoria.

The special edition cereal boxes feature Walter Payton, Richard Petty, and Nolan Ryan. These athletes are among a group of all-time sports heroes who are helping raise money for the Buoniconti Fund, co-founded by former Miami Dolphin linebacker Nick Buoniconti and internationally recognized neurosurgeon, Dr. Barth Green.

Nick Buoniconti was inspired to help in the efforts to cure paralysis when his son Marc was injured at age 19 while playing for The Citadel; the tragic football accident cut short his promising career. While making a tackle, Marc's neck was broken and he joined millions worldwide who are living with paralyzing spinal cord injuries.

Last year, General Mills honored the efforts of Nick and Marc by putting the father-son duo on the front of a Wheaties box that was distributed nationally. Now General Mills wants to do more. From Oct. 6 to Nov. 6, ten cents from every box of Wheaties sold will be donated to the Miami Project.

"Wheaties is very excited to partner with such a great cause," says David Dix, Wheaties spokesperson. "Our goal in this effort is to help Marc and Nick find a cure for paralysis. When you look at the quality of the people involved in this cause, you can't help but believe that a cure is in sight."

The special Buoniconti Fund boxes will be available nationwide starting next week. The ten cent donation will be made for any Wheaties, Honey Frosted Wheaties or Crispy Wheaties 'n Raisins purchased through Nov. 6.

Walter Payton was a first-round draft pick who has become one of the greatest players ever in the National Football League. In his third season with the Chicago Bears, Payton ran for 1,852 yards and 14 touchdowns, one of the best performances in league history. Water holds eight NFL records, including two of the most prestigious. He's the NFL's all-time leading rusher with 16,726 yards. And in November 1997 he set the single-game rushing record with 275 yards. Payton was voted to nine Pro Bowls, led the Bears to the Super Bowl in the 1985 season and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993. Throughout his 13-year career with the Bears, Payton has always lived up to his nickname "Sweetness" because everything about his game is sweet.

Richard Petty is known as "The King" to race fans and motor-sports enthusiasts everywhere. Following in the footsteps of his father, Hall of Famer Lee Petty, Richard began racing in 1958. Richard won 200 Grand National/Winston Cup races during his illustrious 34-year career. The seven-time Winston Cup Champion won 127 pole positions, had the most wins in one season (27), had the most wins from the pole (61), the most wins from the pole in one season (15), and qualified for 513 consecutive races during a period of eighteen years. Petty earned the crown that has made him The King by winning the Daytona 500 a record seven times. In July of 1984 Petty captured his 200th career win making him the winningest driver in NASCAR's history.

Nolan Ryan is the only man to play in 27 Major League seasons, going from a wild-arm prospect with the New York Mets in 1966 to a legend with his home-state, Texas Rangers in 1993. He was known for his 100-mile-per-hour fastball and his pitching records are endless. He led the American League in strikeouts in 11 different seasons on his way to becoming the all-time strike-out king with 5,714. He won 324 games and pitched seven no-hitters. He was a seven-time All-Star. In 1996, the Rangers joined the Angels and Astros in retiring Ryan's number 34. He's the only player to have his number retired by three teams--the ultimate proof he's one-of-a-kind.

The Great Sports Legends Dinner pledges to bring the Miami Project one million dollars closer to a cure. Over the past twelve years, more than $15 million has been raised at the Sports Legends Dinners, making them the cornerstone of the Miami Project's annual operating budget. This year's Legends Honorees are Amy Alcott, Johnny Bench, Wayne Gretzky, Dan Jansen, Jim Kelly, Bob Lanier, Rod Laver, Marv Levy, Archie Moore, Benny Parsons, Picabo Street, Ron Turcotte and Secretariat.

Past honorees include: Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe, Bill Bradley, George Brett, Dick Butkus, Jimmy Connors, Larry Csonka, Joe DiMaggio, Mike Ditka, Julius "Dr. J" Erving, Chris Evert, Ray Floyd, Whitey Ford, A.J. Foyt, Joe Frazier, John Havlicek, Bobby Hull, Bruce Jenner, Jimmy Johnson, Florence Griffith-Joyner, Billie Jean King, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mickey Mantle, John McEnroe, Joe Montana, Edwin Moses, Joe Namath, Ken Norton, Walter Payton, Brooks Robinson, Gale Sayers, Tom Seaver, Don Shula, Bart Starr, Roger Staubach, Danny Sullivan, Al Unser, Bill Walsh and Katarina Witt.