Orrville, OH (September 25, 2009) – The J.M. Smucker Company is partnering with The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University to support Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children™, which will be celebrated on September 28, 2009.

Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children is a national movement to remind parents that dinner time makes a difference and encourages parents to eat dinner with their kids frequently. More than a decade of research by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University has consistently found that sharing dinner on a regular basis contributes to better grades, healthier eating habits, closer relationships to parents and siblings and the ability to resist negative peer pressure. Family Day is a reminder for busy families of the invaluable role that parental involvement plays in steering children and teens away from negative influences.

Parents and families are encouraged to visit The Power of Family Meals Web site to help prepare and plan a special family meal for Family Day 2009. Visitors to www.poweroffamilymeals.com will find:

• Helpful mealtime hints to make the most of your family’s time around the table.
• Conversation starters for family mealtime.
• Recipe and menu ideas.
• Informative, fact-filled articles by Miriam Weinstein, author of The Surprising Power of Family Meals, an award-winning documentary filmmaker and journalist, wife, and mother of two grown children.
• A special section dedicated to holiday and special occasions.
• Helpful resources and information from the latest CASA studies.

“The J.M. Smucker Company and its family of brands are proud to continue the partnership with CASA for a fourth year. Our company believes in family mealtime and the tremendous importance that family meals can play in peoples’ lives,” said Maribeth Badertscher, Director, Corporate Communications, The J.M. Smucker Company. “We are honored that our products are a part of mealtime and help bring families together for memorable meals and special moments.”

For more information about Family Day visit www.poweroffamilymeals.com and to join parents all across America in taking the Family Day pledge, log on to www.CASAFamilyDay.org. Family Day is celebrated nationwide on the fourth Monday in September – the 28th in 2009.

About The J.M. Smucker Company
For more than 100 years, The J.M. Smucker Company has been committed to offering consumers quality products that help families create memorable mealtime moments. Today, Smucker is the leading marketer and manufacturer of fruit spreads, retail packaged coffee, peanut butter, shortening and oils, ice cream toppings, sweetened condensed milk, and health and natural foods beverages in North America. Its family of brands includes Smucker's®, Folgers®, Dunkin’ Donuts®, Jif®, Crisco®, Pillsbury®, Eagle Brand®, R.W. Knudsen Family®, Hungry Jack®, White Lily® and Martha White® in the United States, along with Robin Hood®, Five Roses®, Carnation®, Europe’s Best® and Bick's® in Canada. The Company remains rooted in the Basic Beliefs of Quality, People, Ethics, Growth and Independence established by its founder and namesake more than a century ago. The Company has appeared on FORTUNE Magazine's list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in the United States 11 times, ranking number one in 2004. For more information about the Company, visit www.smuckers.com.

The J. M. Smucker Company is the owner of all trademarks, except Pillsbury is a trademark of The Pillsbury Company, LLC, used under license; Carnation is a trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., used under license; and Dunkin' Donuts is a registered trademark of DD IP Holder LLC used under license.

About CASA
CASA is the only national organization that brings together under one roof all the professional disciplines needed to study and combat all types of substance abuse as they affect all aspects of society. CASA and its staff of more than 50 professionals has issued 69 reports and white papers, published one book, conducted demonstration programs focused on children, families and schools at 238 sites in 91 cities and counties in 35 states plus Washington, DC and two Native American tribal reservations, held 18 conferences attended by professionals and others from 49 states, and has been evaluating the effectiveness of drug and alcohol treatment in a variety of programs and drug courts. In May 2007, CASA's Chairman Joseph A. Califano, Jr., called for a fundamental shift in the nation’s attitude about substance abuse and addiction with publication of his book, HIGH SOCIETY: How Substance Abuse Ravages America and What To Do About It. In August 2009, Mr. Califano's book, How to Raise a Drug Free Kid: The Straight Dope for Parents, was published by Simon & Schuster's Touchstone/Fireside Division. For more information visit www.casacolumbia.org.

*The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University is neither affiliated with, nor sponsored by, the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association (also known as "CASA") or any of its member organizations with the name of "CASA."