Today Governor Steve Bullock, along with representatives from the Montana Retail and Restaurant Associations, Prostart and No Kid Hungry, announced a new innovative partnership to allow Montanans to invest in their efforts to combat childhood hunger and make educational opportunities more accessible.

"Together we are all kind of working together to get businesses involved whether it's restaurants and retail organizations, just to raise money at a local level to give back to the community," No Kid Hungry Director Lisa Lee said. "Every customer is just asked on their bill whether they would like to contribute and round up their dollar. All of that money is pulled together at the end of the year and then they can give to the charity of their choice as well as Prostart No Kid Hungry."

Bullock said as Montanans, we recognize that our greatest obligation is to ensure the next generation is healthy, fed, and well educated. He added that the Round It Up Montana initiative will help Montanans live up to this obligation.

"It's the Glacier Restaurant Group right now that has signed on and it's Ryan Fuller who is the director of that and Mackenzie River Pizza is probably the most well known here in Helena. They've already started the Round It Up," Lee said. "I've already had friends go through and round up their dollar so it's really exciting. It could be as little as 12 cents. Anything goes a long way in the course of a year. Any change is big change. That's kind of how we're looking at it."

In addition to Mackenzie River Pizza and Glacier Restaurant Group…Ciao Mambo, Latitude 48, Craggy Ranger, and Montana Albertsons locations are participating with their Making Change program. Albertsons’s customers can contribute $1, $3 or $5 to No Kid Hungry-Montana when they check-out.

For more information or how to contribute, visit the Round It Up America website.

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