Abbotsford's nine-year old Riley wins Snacks in Space Contest

GIBSONS, BC, Oct. 1, 2012 /CNW/ - Grade Four student, Riley Weimer would love a career in the space industry. The Abbotsford, BC nine-year-old designs Lego spaceships and follows space missions. Last summer, Riley and his Dad, Todd, saw the Snacks in Space contest on the Canadian Space Agency website.

Contestants were invited to submit ideas for Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield to take on the December 2012 space mission to the International Space Station. The food items had to meet a list of criteria for suitability in space.  They had to be Canadian made, long shelf life and be simple to prepare.

Riley and his Dad started searching through their kitchen cupboards.  "Holy Crap cereal was the only suitable item," says Todd, "so Riley entered it in the contest."

Todd explains, "We've been eating Holy Crap cereal since we first saw it on the Dragon's Den two years ago. Our daughter, Anaya, has wheat and dairy issues so we are always looking for natural food products."

The Weimer family enjoys their Holy Crap cereal with almond milk or orange juice.

Riley's contest entry read in part, "Holy Crap cereal (this is not a joke): You add either water or milk or soy milk. It is an awesome, great tasting, very healthy snack."

Canadian Space Agency experts reviewed all entries and prepared a short list based on the criteria.  A short list of snacks was then proposed to Hadfield and his astronaut crewmates.

Riley's entry was one of 12 Canadian foods that won the Snacks in Space contest and will be on Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield's menu at the International Space Station during his six-month mission departing December 2012.

"We're thrilled that Riley, suggested our Holy Crap cereal be sent to the International Space Station," says Corin Mullins, CEO of HapiFoods Group. "We originally developed the cereal for emergency kits because of its healthy nutritional content and long shelf-life so it seems more than fitting for it to go up to the Space Station."

ORGANIZATION PROFILE

Holy Crap, the Dragons' Den organic hemp and chia seed cereal phenomenon, rocked the Canadian natural food product industry after an amazing appearance on Canada's highest rated reality TV show - the award winning CBC Dragons' Den in November 2010. Co-founders Brian and Corin Mullins started selling the cereal at the Sechelt, BC Farmer's Market in 2009 and are now shipping to over twenty countries and it is carried in over fifteen hundred stores in Canada. They are finalists for Ernst & Young's 2012 Entrepreneur of the Year Award and winners of  2011 Best Concept Award from The Certified General Accountants of BC and Small Business BC.

SOURCE: Holy Crap Cereal

Contact Info:
Brian Mullins and Corin Mullins
Canadian Office: 604-886-8860
Email:  [email protected] or [email protected]
Web: www.holycrap.ca
Facebook: HolyCrapCereal
Twitter: #holycrapcereal

Contact Info:
Todd Weimer (Riley's Dad)
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: [phone]