Share Our Strength's Eighth Annual Great American Bake Sale, presented by Domino Sugar, C&H Sugar and Duncan Hines, officially kicked off nationwide on March 1, 2011. Great American Bake Sale is a national campaign that encourages Americans to hold bake sales in their communities to raise funds for Share Our Strength, the leading organization ending childhood hunger in America.

Share Our Strength is asking families, kids, neighbors, businesses, churches and even whole towns to hold bake sales to help raise funds to support Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry Campaign to end childhood hunger in America by 2015. Through this campaign, Share Our Strength ensures that children in need are enrolled in federal nutrition programs like school lunch and breakfast, invests in community organizations that help connect kids with the food they need, teaches at-risk families how to cook healthy, affordable meals and builds public-private partnerships to end child hunger nationally and at the state and city levels. Since 2003, 1.7 million people have participated in the Great American Bake Sale, and raised more than $6 million.

Bake sales, which are happening throughout the country all year long, empower individuals, including children, to make a difference in their own communities and become part of the solution. They can be held in a variety of venues, from schools to community centers, to churches or businesses. To find a bake sale in your area or to get information on hosting a bake sale, visit: greatamericanbakesale.org.

In addition to the Annual Great American Bake Sale, Americans are invited to join the Great American Bake Sale National Challenge on May 13-15, 2011. In its second year, the Challenge is a three-day call to action to hold as many bake sales as possible in as many states as possible.

"Hunger affects more than 17 million kids in the United States. That is nearly 1 in 4," says Sandra Lee, national spokesperson. "Share Our Strength's Great American Bake Sale is a great way for people to give back to their communities while having fun. By hosting bake sales, individuals are helping feed children who struggle with hunger."

Lee, popular star of Food Network's "Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee" and a premier lifestyle and food expert, faced hunger as a child—she along with her four younger siblings relied on federal feeding programs like food stamps. In 2008, Lee joined Great American Bake Sale as the campaign's national spokesperson. Lee will publish a new cookbook entitled Semi-Homemade Bake Sale, and will donate 25% of proceeds to Share Our Strength's Great American Bake Sale.

Great American Bake Sale is supported by Chicago Metallic, official bakeware partner, Food Network, national television partner, Family Circle, national print partner and Solo, an official baking ingredient partner.

Register your bake sale or learn more at GreatAmericanBakesale.org.