ORLANDO, Fla. (Oct. 7, 2014) – Central Florida families gathered for a free event, hosted by Produce for Kids and Publix, on Saturday, Oct. 4 at the Orlando Publix Aprons Cooking School to kick off the third annual Healthy Families, Helping Kids campaign. Publix resident chef, Anthony LoGerfo, guided families in the assembly of their own “healthy caterpillars” made with fresh fruits and veggies. The Very Hungry Caterpillar™ was on hand for a meet and greet with families.
More than 100 Central Florida families attended the Orlando event along with local bloggers and media. Several fruit and vegetable companies supporting the campaign were in attendance and sponsored products were displayed for families. Goody bags filled with partner coupons and promotional items were handed out to attending families.
“We are truly excited to have been able to introduce our Publix Aprons Cooking School to more than 100 families with an event that encourages families to eat healthier,” said Dwaine Stevens, media and community relations manager at Publix. “Publix is dedicated to educating shoppers on the benefits of eating healthy and our partnership with Produce for Kids supports that mission.”
The Healthy Families, Helping Kids campaign is educating Publix families on the benefits of healthy eating and raising funds to support local health and wellness classroom projects through DonorsChoose.org. To help Publix increase its donation, shoppers are encouraged to add more produce to their grocery carts through Oct. 22.
“As a parent, I understand the pressure to get a healthy meal on the table,” said Amanda Keefer, director of marketing communications at Produce for Kids. “Our goal for this event was to provide Orlando families with additional resources to help make this process a bit easier as well as introduce them to our fruit and vegetable partners’ healthy products.”
Shoppers should be on the lookout for Produce for Kids signage, featuring The Very Hungry Caterpillar, in the produce section of all Publix stores to find out more information on the Healthy Families, Helping Kidscampaign. The signage will direct shoppers to www.produceforkids.com, which features more than 170 RD-approved and family-tested recipes, meal planning tools, campaign information and healthy tips from real parents. During the event, shoppers were encouraged to share their photos on social media using #HealthyCaterpillar.
The Orlando Aprons Publix Cooking School, located at 7524 Dr. Phillips Blvd., opened last December and offers a variety of classes that are entertaining and informative for beginners or experienced cooks looking to expand their repertoire. The school also offers children’s cooking classes. Chef LoGerfo has an impressive resume and as a dad, he has a true passion for making meal prep and dinnertime a family affair.
The interactive fun for Publix shoppers doesn’t stop just yet. During the Healthy Families, Helping Kids campaign, shoppers are encouraged to snap a photo near a sign located in the Publix produce department and upload it to Instagram using the #ProduceforKids hashtag for a chance to win a gift basket from The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Funds raised during the Healthy Families, Helping Kids campaign benefit DonorsChoose.org, an online charity aimed at helping public and charter schoolteachers across America obtain the supplies needed for their classrooms. To date, 190,000 public and charter schoolteachers have used DonorsChoose.org to secure $247 million in books, art supplies, technology and other resources to enhance student learning.
All eight participating fruit and vegetable companies supporting the campaign will make a donation to support local classroom projects. These companies include: Apio, Inc. – Eat Smart® Fresh Cut Vegetables; Buddy Fruits® 100% Blended Fruit Pouches; Del Monte Foods® – Fruit Naturals® Cups; Chiquita Fresh – Fresh Express® Packaged Salads; Florida Department of Citrus – 100% Florida Orange Juice, Florida Oranges & Florida Grapefruit; Evolution Fresh® Juices & Smoothies; Ventura Foods – Marie’s® Refrigerated Salad Dressings; and Paramount Farms – Wonderful® Pistachios.
Note: Images can be found at the following links.
http://www.produceforkids.com/sites/default/files/the_very_hungry_cater…
http://www.produceforkids.com/sites/default/files/the_very_hungry_cater…
http://www.produceforkids.com/sites/default/files/the_very_hungry_cater…
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About Produce for Kids®
Produce for Kids® is a philanthropically based organization that brings the produce industry together to educate consumers about healthy eating with fresh produce and raise funds for local children’s non-profit organizations. Since its creation in 2002 by Shuman Produce Inc., Produce for Kids has raised more than $5 million to benefit kids. To learn more about Produce for Kids and healthy eating, visitwww.produceforkids.com <http://www.produceforkids.com> , Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/produceforkids> , Twitter <http://www.twitter.com/#!/Produceforkids> , Pinterest <http://www.pinterest.com/produceforkids/> or Instagram <http://instagram.com/produceforkids> .
About Publix®
Publix is privately owned and operated by its 167,000 employees, with 2013 sales of $28.9 billion. Currently Publix has 1,077 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina. The company has been named one of FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For in America” for 17 consecutive years. In addition, Publix’s dedication to superior quality and customer service is recognized as tops in the grocery business, most recently by an American Customer Satisfaction Index survey. For more information, visit the company’s website, corporate.publix.com.
About DonorsChoose.org
Founded in 2000, DonorsChoose.org makes it easy for anyone to help a classroom in need. At this nonprofit website, teachers at half of all the public schools in America have created project requests, and more than a million people have donated $247 million to projects that inspire them. All told, 11 million students—most from low-income communities, and many in disaster-stricken areas—have received books, art supplies, field trips, technology, and other resources that they need to learn. Visit http://www.donorschoose.org/intro <http://www.donorschoose.org/intro> to hear Oprah Winfrey and Stephen Colbert tell theDonorsChoose.org story.
About The World of Eric Carle
The World of Eric Carle™ is a design-driven licensing and merchandising program based on the beloved picture books by Eric Carle. A prolific author and artist, Eric Carle has written and illustrated more than seventy books which have sold over 128 million copies worldwide. Like his books, The World of Eric Carle brand draws upon Eric Carle’s approach to creativity, discovery, play and development. Licensing and merchandising programs are ongoing in the US, Japan, UK, Australia and Europe. For more information, please visit: www.Facebook.com/theworldofEricCarle <http://www.facebook.com/theworldofEricCarle> .
This text was copied verbatim from a press release.
