MORTON GROVE, Ill., Jan. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading kefir manufacturer Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ: LWAY) announced today that President & Chief Executive Officer Julie Smolyansky will ring the NASDAQ opening bell in New York on January 6, to kick off Lifeway's "Good for more than just you" campaign. The company will follow with their first-ever national TV commercial during the 2015 Golden Globes broadcast on January 11.

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Smolyansky will be joined on the NASDAQ stage by representatives of several of Lifeway's charitable partners, calling attention to the importance of corporate social responsibility initiatives in the broader business community. These partners include Charity Miles, Common Threads, Every Mother Counts, Gateway Green, YWCA, Hollaback!, Clinton Global Initiative and the UN Foundation.

"Our mission at Lifeway is both to improve health and to work to improve the lives of people around the globe. That's one of the points of our 'Good for more than just you' campaign: everything and everyone on this planet is connected," Smolyansky said. "We invited our charitable partners to ring the opening NASDAQ bell with us to encourage other companies to increase their involvement in social impact initiatives. Businesses have both the resources and the responsibility to help make the world a better place. We can be change agents. All it takes is a commitment to participate."

Lifeway's participation in NASDAQ's Fit Week and the "Good for more than just you" theme of its new brand campaign reflect the value of the company's flagship probiotic dairy beverage in supporting a healthy lifestyle. The commercial also alludes to Lifeway's own corporate social responsibility efforts by presenting a cast of characters who are positively impacted by the company. Lifeway fans are invited to join the conversation on social media to tell the world how they're getting healthy and making a positive impact on the world in 2015 by using the hashtag #AndMe.

As a complement to the commercial's initial broadcast, Lifeway will serve as the official dessert sponsor of The Weinstein Company & Netflix's 72nd Golden Globes Awards event. Fresh fruit, spices, chocolate and nuts will accompany the brand's trio of dessert treats that highlight the company's specialty product line in elegant fashion.

The NASDAQ opening bell ceremony will take place in New York City's Times Square at 9:15 am (EST) tomorrow. Lifeway last participated in NASDAQ bell-ringing ceremonies in May 2011, when Smolyansky and other company executives rang the closing bell to celebrate the company's 25(th) anniversary as well as the introduction of Lifeway Frozen Kefir.

Lifeway and other companies participating in this year's NASDAQ Fit Week, running from January 2-9, will also provide NASDAQ's Facebook and Twitter followers with tips about making healthier life choices. Fit Week photos from this year and last can be seen at http://www.nasdaq.com/marketsite/fitweek1102/fitweek2014.html.

About Lifeway Foods, Inc.
Lifeway Foods, Inc. (LWAY), one of Fortune Small Business' Fastest Growing Companies, is America's leading supplier of the cultured dairy product known as kefir. In addition to its line of drinkable kefir, the company produces a variety of frozen kefir and probiotic cheese products. Lifeway also sells frozen soft serve kefir and kefir smoothies through its Starfruit(TM) retail stores.

Find Lifeway Foods, Inc. on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lifewaykefir
Follow Lifeway Foods on Twitter: http://twitter.com/lifeway_kefir
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/lifewaykefir

Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, competitive pressures and other important factors detailed in the Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Media Contact:
Hanni Itah
847-415-9324
hitah@sspr.com

Company Contact:
Lifeway Foods
877-281-3874
info@Lifeway.net

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SOURCE Lifeway Foods, Inc.