Breakfast bonanza: Local hospital donates more than 700 boxes of cereal

Breakfast is often called the most important meal of the day.

Children need it even during the summer months, when they’re out of school.

That’s why Fountain Valley Regional Hospital recently held a “Healthy Over Hungry” Cereal Drive, benefiting Huntington Beach-based nonprofit Robyne’s Nest, from June 5 through June 12.

More than 700 boxes of cereal were delivered to Robyne’s Nest headquarters in Huntington Beach on Tuesday morning.

Janet Hewson, Kellie Zorich, Paulette Heitmeyer and Randy Rogers, chat with Robyne Wood, founder and executive director of Robyne’s Nest, left, after they delivered a truck load of cereal on behalf of Fountain Valley Regional Hospital on Tuesday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Employees each got to pick out their favorite cereal for the drive, said Randy Rogers, chief executive of Tenet Healthcare, which operates the hospital.

“You know, we tried to focus on the healthy brands, but we were cleaning out the grocery stores as you can imagine,” Rogers said. “It was such an outpouring of support from our employees. It’s just an amazing opportunity. You don’t have to say much to them — ‘We’re trying to help kids to eat that may be missing a meal, can you help?’ And they helped.”

Robyne Wood, center, founder and executive director of Robyne’s Nest, a Huntington Beach-based nonprofit.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Robyne’s Nest director and founder Robyne Wood said her organization works directly with local schools to get the cereal to families and children that need it.

“Whatever doesn’t get used this summer, it will just carry over,” she said. “Once school’s in, they’ll have even more access to it. It will get used. It will not go to waste, for sure ... There will be 700 children very happy with this gift.”