McKee Foods partners with city of gentry to develop walking, biking trails

Flint Creek Nature Area development will also include stocked lake, outdoor facilities

— More outdoor happiness is on its way to the city of Gentry, with the help of McKee Foods. McKee Foods, in partnership with the city of Gentry, announced on Thursday that the Flint Creek Nature Area will be developed to include walking and biking trails, a stocked lake, fishing docks and other outdoor facilities. The new park will also connect to the Razorback Regional Greenway, a 36-mile shared-use trail that runs from Bentonville to Fayetteville in the northwestern corner of the state.

"Through the Outdoor Happiness program, we will support the development of greenways and public parks throughout the U.S., such as the one at Flint Creek, to help families stay healthy and spend quality time outdoors together," said Chris McKee, executive vice president of marketing and sales for McKee Foods.

"We are pleased to have been part of the Gentry community for the past 34 years and are excited about the Flint Creek Nature Area and trail system," Tim Broughton, vice president of McKee Foods' Gentry operations, said. "McKee Foods has always placed a priority on the health, safety and well-being of employees and their families. Our work family is excited about experiencing and sharing our Outdoor Happiness in northwestern Arkansas."

People interested in learning more about the movement can visit OutdoorHappinessMovement.com to hear about upcoming projects across the U.S. Visitors to the site can also make a pledge to go outside, have fun and find what makes them happy.

Work in Gentry

McKee Foods chose Gentry's Flint Creek Nature Area for its Arkansas project and donated $20,000 to the city for work at the nature area, according to Kevin Johnston, Gentry's mayor. Johnston said the city has received an additional $10,00 from the Jack McKee Foundation and another $20,000 from the Gentry United Way for work at the nature area along Flint Creek.

The money will be used to put in trails and stock the fishing pond. Plans are for bike trails to eventually connect to the Razorback Regional Greenway.

About the Outdoor Happiness Movement

McKee Foods is committed to helping communities across the country enjoy an active outdoor lifestyle by partnering with organizations that make public greenways, trails and parks available. McKee Foods believes these green spaces provide opportunities for outdoor activity that ultimately lead to a fun and active lifestyle. McKee Foods, owned and operated by the McKee family, has committed to donate more than $1 million dollars over the next five years in an initiative called the Outdoor Happiness Movement. The OH Movement represents a long-standing tradition in the McKee family in that, since 2009, it has given more than $2.8 million to support the creation and preservation of parks, greenways and other outdoor spaces. For more information, or to join McKee Foods in its mission to get the country outside, please visit OutdoorHappinessMovement.com.

About McKee Foods

McKee Foods, a family bakery with annual sales of about $1.2 billion, is a privately held company based in Collegedale, Tenn. The McKee Foods story began during the height of the Great Depression when founder O.D. McKee began selling 5-cent snack cakes from the back of his car. Soon after, he and his wife, Ruth, bought a small, failing bakery, using the family car as collateral. Today, the company employs more than 5,000 people in Collegedale, Tenn.; Gentry, Ark.; Stuarts Draft, Va.; and Kingman, Ariz. It creates and produces Little Debbie® Snacks, Drake's Cakes, Sunbelt Bakery® snacks and cereals, Heartland® and Fieldstone™ Bakery food products. Visit McKeeFoods.com for more information.

General News on 03/30/2016