Schools Receive $15,000 to Get Students
to Eat Their Veggies
Makers of Hidden Valley® Salad Dressings Announce Winners of Third Annual Love Your Veggies™ Nutrition Grant
OAKLAND, Calif. (May 11, 2008) – The makers of Hidden Valley® Salad Dressings today awarded 10 elementary schools each with a $15,000 Love Your Veggies™ nutrition grant to support programs aiming to increase access to and consumption of fresh produce at school meals during the 2009-2010 school year. Now in its third year, the Hidden Valley® Love Your Veggies™ school grant program has awarded $750,000 to nearly 70 elementary schools nationwide to help fund the implementation of fresh fruit and vegetable education programs in the lunchroom and in the classroom.
In partnership with the School Nutrition Foundation and with support from Produce for Better Health Foundation, the school grant program was established to help schools fund a fresh produce program in the lunchroom following the 2004 Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act, which required school districts to adopt local school wellness policies to strengthen nutrition and exercise programs1. Additionally, the makers of Hidden Valley® created the Love Your Veggies™ program after a study found that children tend to eat more vegetables when paired with a moderate amount of ranch dressing2.
“Often times a prepared school lunch is the only full meal a child receives each day, and many schools don’t have the means to ensure that lunches include well-balanced nutrition,” said Greg Powell, associate marketing manager for Hidden Valley® products. “We felt we could help by supplementing funding to provide students with fresh fruits and vegetables, and for school nutrition programs that encourage life-long healthy eating habits.”
Winning Schools Showcase Creative Ideas for Nutrition Programs
More than 750 applications were received this year and 10 recipients were chosen based on financial need, creativity and innovation of the proposed vegetable program, the programs’ ability to make a sustainable impact on students as well as its potential for community involvement.
The winning schools and programs include:
- Arlington Heights Elementary School in Los Angeles, Calif.: Will educate students with nutrition lessons and snack preparation demonstrations as well as creates a farmers’ market vegetable bar and nutrition resource center.
- Black Mesa Community School in Pinon, Ariz.: Will create a sustainable community garden as a non-traditional classroom.
- Chief Ivan Blunka School in New Styuahok, Alaska: Will engage students in a journey of discovery through gardening projects and integrated experiential curriculum.
- Drexel Elementary School in Tucson, Ariz.: Will involve students by growing and maintaining a vegetable garden with teachers who integrate nutrition information into existing course curriculum.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Academy in Cincinnati, Ohio: Will offer students nutrition education and field trips focused on local produce farms.
- Mt. Pleasant Cottage Elementary School in Pleasantville, N.Y.: Will use greenhouses to grow vegetables that will be served at the cafeteria salad bar.
- Raul Yzaguirre School for Success in Houston, Texas: Will make fresh fruit and vegetables available during mealtimes and provide students with lessons on preparing healthy veggie-inspired meals.
- South Elementary School in Jonesboro, Ark.: Will get students involved in growing and maintaining a vegetable garden and serving the produce at the cafeteria vegetable bar.
- Vonore Elementary School in Vonore, Tenn.: Will provide fresh produce via the cafeteria vegetable bar and work with a certified health educator to help teachers incorporate nutrition education into the core academic program.
- Waterford Village Elementary School in Waterford, Mich.: Will inspire students to become master gardeners as they learn to create their own home gardens.
For more on the Love Your Veggies™ campaign and how the 2009-2010 grant recipients will implement their winning programs, visit www.LoveYourVeggies.com. Schools interested in applying for a 2010-2011 Love Your Veggies™ school grant should continue to check the Web site for more information.
LOVE YOUR VEGGIES™ WEB SITE – A RESOURCE FOR EDUCATIONAL TOOLS
Outside of the lunchroom, Love Your Veggies™ offers parents and teachers tools to help children develop a life-long love of vegetables through activities at home, in the classroom and in the community. The campaign’s Web site is a comprehensive resource that hosts a wealth of tools for parents and educators looking for fun and interesting ways to help cultivate a deep appreciation and knowledge of vegetables. To access the Love Your Veggies™ educational activities, kid-friendly recipes and tips for getting kids more involved in the garden, the kitchen and the dinner table, visit LoveYourVeggies.com.
About Love Your Veggies™
The makers of Hidden Valley® Salad Dressings were inspired to create the Love Your Veggies grant program after findings from a 2006 study of two Northern California elementary schools conducted by the University of California Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and the Butte County Cooperative Extension found that children tend to eat more vegetables when paired with a moderate amount of ranch dressing. At the same time the results of this study were released, many schools nationwide were working to comply with the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act which required school districts to adopt local school wellness policies to improve students’ overall health and nutrition, and were facing an overwhelming shortage of funds available to execute these programs. To respond to this need, the Love Your Veggies™ grant program was created and has since awarded more than a half a million dollars to elementary schools across the country, helping to affect change in the diets of thousands of children.
About Hidden Valley®
The HV Food Products Company is a subsidiary of The Clorox Company, headquartered in Oakland, Calif. Clorox is a leading manufacturer and marketer of consumer products with fiscal year 2008 revenues of $5.3 billion. Clorox markets some of consumers' most trusted and recognized brand names, including its namesake bleach and cleaning products, Green Works™ natural cleaners, Armor All® and STP® auto-care products, Fresh Step® and Scoop Away® cat litter, Kingsford® charcoal, Hidden Valley® and K C Masterpiece® dressings and sauces, Brita® water-filtration systems, Glad® bags, wraps and containers, and Burt’s Bees® natural personal care products. With 8,300 employees worldwide, the company manufactures products in more than two dozen countries and markets them in more than 100 countries. Clorox is committed to making a positive difference in the communities where its employees work and live. Founded in 1980, The Clorox Company Foundation has awarded cash grants totaling more than $73.9 million to nonprofit organizations, schools and colleges. In fiscal 2008 alone, the foundation awarded $4.2 million in cash grants, and Clorox made product donations valued at $10.2 million. For more information about Clorox, visit www.TheCloroxCompany.com.
About the School Nutrition Foundation
TheSchool Nutrition Foundation (SNF) empowers professional growth through the education, research, and scholarship it provides School Nutrition Association (SNA) members Along with SNA, the Foundation’s number one priority is helping school nutrition professionals run successful and effective school nutrition programs and comply with USDA regulations. The School Nutrition Association is a national, non-profit professional organization representing more than 55,000 members who provide high-quality, low-cost meals to students across the country. Founded in 1946, SNA is the only association devoted exclusively to protecting and enhancing children’s health and well being through school meals and sound nutrition education.
About Produce for Better Health Foundation
Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) is a non-profit consumer foundation whose purpose is to motivate people to eat more fruits and vegetables to improve public health. We partner with government agencies, non-profit organizations, and industry to expand the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters® health initiative which is the largest public-private, fruit and vegetable nutrition education initiative in the U.S.
1 Congress passed the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, which requires that by the first day of the 2006 school year, each school district participating in the National School Lunch Program adopt local school wellness policies with the goal of improving children’s health and reducing childhood obesity by expanding the availability of nutritious meals and snacks to more children in schools while also promoting increased activity. Policies should encourage consumption of healthy foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables.
2 2006 study of two Northern California elementary schools conducted by the University of California Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and the Butte County Cooperative Extension.
Press Contact
Bridget Starkey/ Current
P: 415-262-5987
E: Bstarkey@talktocurrent.com
Back-to-School Tips
from Jodie Shield
Jeanne Pinsof Nolan
Jodie Shield
Visit the Official Love Your Veggies™ campaign Web site: www.LoveYourVeggies.com.
www.HiddenValley.com