In honor of Marshawn Lynch's upcoming Super Bowl appearance, the Wrigley Corporation – the producers of Skittles – is auctioning off various Skittles-covered memorabilia along with specialty bags of Seattle Mix Skittles.
Skittles' number one fan
Marshawn Lynch, the running back for the Seattle Seahawks, has been an outspoken fan of the chewy, fruity candy, Skittles ever since his mother used to give them to him as 'power pellets.' To show their appreciation, the Wrigley Corporation produced limited-edition bags of Seattle Mix Skittles that only contain blue and green candies, reflective of the football team's uniform colors. However, these limited-edition bags will not be available for public purchase. Instead, they will be auctioned off along with Skittles-covered memorabilia to commemorate the Seahawks' upcoming Super Bowl battle.
Auction for a cause
All proceeds from the auction will be donated to Marshawn Lynch's Fam 1st Family Foundation. The foundation was started by Lynch along with fellow NFL athlete Joshua Johnson in order to empower the youth of the San Francisco Bay Area, the athletes' home town. To do this, the foundation sponsors literacy programs, financial planning workshops, art programs and athletic clinics to develop and nurture area children's talents. In doing this, Fam 1st helps children overcome adversity and become productive members of society. In addition to the auction proceeds, Skittles also plans to donate to the Fam 1st Family Foundation every time Lynch scores a touchdown in the Super Bowl game.
Items up for bid
This auction will only feature three lots. The first is a football helmet covered in the rainbow candies. The second lot is a similarly-encrusted football while the third is a megaphone also covered in Skittles. Each Skittle-crusted item comes with 24 packs of the limited-edition Seattle Mix Skittles, in honor of Marshawn Lynch's jersey number – 24. Also included is a package of Seattle Mix Skittles signed by Lynch himself.
This Skittles auction comes after an announcement was made that Lynch would be receiving financial compensation for his endorsement of the candy. Fans have already started buying into the Skittles craze with Seattle-area stores often selling out of the rainbow candies on game day. A tradition of giving Lynch a "rainbow shower" after every touchdown he scores has even sprung up, further tying the athlete to the popular candy. Lynch's success in the NFL has led Kantar Media to estimate the athlete to be worth $5 million to the company.