Wheaties breakfast cereal is launching a new cereal, Wheaties Energy Crunch – The Breakfast of Everyday Champions. To introduce the new cereal, the company is sponsoring the Wheaties Energy Crunch Search for Everyday Champions to recognize heroes who excel both athletically and in their communities.

The search will identify and honor one everyday champion from each of the 50 states. The search will culminate in November when one grand-prize winner and four other finalists will be selected to appear on the Wheaties Energy Crunch box in 2002.

Individuals can nominate themselves or others by submitting an essay of up to 300 words explaining how they or the person they are nominating is an everyday champion. Entries will be judged on how this individual demonstrates a balanced life while achieving compelling athletic accomplishments and outstanding volunteer community service and originality of the essay.

People may enter either via the contest Web site at WheatiesEnergyCrunch.com or by mailing their essay to Wheaties Energy Crunch for Everyday Champions, P.O. Box 2226, New York, N.Y., 10116 by Sept. 14.