<p><strong>New York, NY</strong><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Whole Foods Market has opened the doors to its 57th Street store on Manhattan’s East Side. To celebrate the opening of this location, the store will be donating 57 salad bars to schools throughout the five boroughs, according to a press release. The donation is occurring in partnership with the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City and the Whole Kids Foundation™. The Whole Kids Foundation™ is a Whole Foods Market foundation dedicated to improving childhood nutrition through increased access to healthy foods. The salad bars will give thousands of children access to fresh produce and assist them in making healthier choices for life.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> “Thanks to our pioneering initiatives, New York City has recently defied the national trend and seen an unprecedented decline in childhood obesity,” said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “Giving every student access to healthy fruit and vegetables is the next step in countering the obesity epidemic and getting kids started on a healthy habit for life. Kids love salad bars in schools – I keep hearing that they are often the first choice for lunch – and this donation from Whole Foods will help bring this delicious and healthy option to more kids.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> The location is situated at 226 East 57th Street between Second and Third Avenues. The 33,500 square-foot store will share a space with two public schools, PS 59 and the High School of Art & Design. The traditional bread breaking ceremony kicked off the opening and the public was welcome to attend. Five percent of total sales from opening day will go towards the school salad bar donation. A variety of fundraising programs to support this initiative will continue through the Fall, including a citywide Whole Foods Market five percent donation day on Sept. 6th.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> A host of vendor partners contributing to the salad bar endowment include: Olivia’s Organics, DiMartino Pasta, Happy Baby, Honest Kids, Laurel Hill, Kind Snacks, Nature’s Path, Organic Valley, Popcorn Indiana, Rao’s, Skinnypop, Zico, Brad’s Raw Chips, Happy Herbert’s and Freebird Chicken.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://media.wholefoodsmarket.com" target="_new"> Whole Foods Market </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
