Whole Kids Foundation™ Kicks off Growing Healthy Kids Campaign to Help Improve Children’s Nutrition
September 02 2014 - 7:00AM
Business Wire
Whole Foods Market® invites shoppers to join
efforts to support local schools across the U.S., Canada
Whole Kids Foundation is kicking off back-to-school season with
a goal of raising $3 million to fund salad bars and gardens for
schools and nutrition education classes for teachers.
The effort is part of the foundation’s annual campaign aimed at
raising awareness around the importance of childhood nutrition and
helping schools provide healthier food choices for students.
Throughout September, Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFM) stores will
host a variety of educational and interactive fundraising events
and shoppers can also get involved by making a donation at store
check-outs or online at wholekidsfoundation.org.
“Well-nourished kids miss fewer days of school and are better
able to pay attention in class, improving academic performance, and
as Whole Kids Foundation celebrates its third anniversary, we’re
excited to see visible results from our work,” said Nona Evans,
executive director of Whole Kids Foundation. “School salad bars are
getting kids excited about school lunches and eating fresh fruits
and vegetables, and school gardens are not only connecting kids to
the roots of their food and how nutrition helps their bodies, they
are increasing their curiosity around trying new foods.”
Each of the following Growing Healthy Kids supplier partners has
pledged to donate $40,000 to support the foundation’s work:
Annie’s, Applegate, Cascadian Farm, Lady Moon Farms, Lug Life,
Organic Valley, Roots, Rudi’s Organic Bakery and Suja. During this
year’s campaign, many of these brands in addition to others,
including Health Warrior, Honest Kids, Horizon Organic, Mrs.
Meyer’s Clean Day and Vega will donate a portion of proceeds from
product sales at Whole Foods Market stores to benefit Whole Kids
Foundation programs.
A recent study of the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools campaign
in partnership with the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition found
that salad bars increased students’ access to fresh fruits and
vegetables, increased student participation in the school lunch
program, reduced plate waste and are complemented by other health
promotion activities in school.
Applications for the foundation’s Salad Bar Grant Program,
created in partnership with Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools, are
accepted year-round at wholekidsfoundation.org.
Recent studies have found that gardens play a key role in
improving children’s knowledge, understanding and curiosity about
whole foods. Having funded more than 2,000 gardens to date, schools
can apply for a grant through the foundation’s School Garden Grant
Program, which was created in partnership with FoodCorps, from
Sept. 1 through Oct. 31 in the U.S. and from Sept. 1 through Nov.
30 in Canada.
Rooted in three simple principles - eat a rainbow of colors, eat
leafy greens first and eat as close to nature as possible - Whole
Kids Foundation offers a variety of resources for parents and
children to make healthier choices at home ranging from book club
suggestions and “Better Bites” lessons to hands-on art projects and
a free app, Awesome Eats™.
Since its inception in 2011, the foundation has invested
$10,000,000 into its programs funding more than 3,400 salad bars
and 2,110 school gardens, giving more than 3 million children
access to healthier food. To learn more about Whole Kids Foundation
and its programs, visit wholekidsfoundation.org.
About Whole Kids Foundation
Whole Kids Foundation, a Whole Foods Market foundation, is based
in Austin, Texas, and operates as an independent, nonprofit
organization. Its mission is to improve children's nutrition and
wellness, with the goal of ending the childhood obesity epidemic.
Through partnerships with innovative organizations, schools and
educators, the foundation works to provide children access to
healthier choices and aims to help children reach their full
potential through the strength of a healthy body. To learn more
about Whole Kids Foundation and its salad bar, school garden and
healthy teacher programs, visit www.wholekidsfoundation.org.
Whole Foods MarketLindsay Robison,
512-542-3483Lindsay.Robison@wholefoods.com
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