Dole Food Company Partners with Stop & Shop to Donate Salad Bars to Piscataway Township
Dole Food Company Partners with Stop & Shop to Donate Salad Bars to Piscataway Township
Local Company Partners with World's Largest Producer of Fruits and Vegetables to Complement School Lunch Options for Piscataway Township Students
PISCATAWAY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, Dole Food Company and Stop & Shop were joined by Teresa M. Rafferty, Interim Superintendent of Schools, William Baskerville, Principal of Grandview Elementary School, Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula and Mayor Brian Wahler to celebrate the donation of four salad bars to schools in Piscataway Township at the Grandview Elementary School. The salad bars were donated as a part of the First Lady's Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative, which has donated more than 2,500 salad bars serving more than 1,250,000 children across the country.
A first grade student at Grandview Elementary School in Piscataway, NJ enjoys the school's new salad bar donated by Dole Food Company. (Photo: Business Wire)
The Piscataway School District has been doing its part to ensure their students are eating healthy. In the fall 2012 school cafeterias had to meet new federal nutrition standards, which included some of the biggest changes in 30 years. These standards make sure that students will receive well-balanced meals and all the nutrition they need to succeed in school! Currently school meals include: A larger variety of fruits and vegetables, serving sizes for each age group, more whole grains, less salt and fat-free or 1% milk.
The event underscored the practical actions schools can take to combat the growing obesity epidemic through healthy lunch options. As schools work diligently to comply with the USDA new nutrition standards for school lunches, salad bars serve as a reasonably priced, attractive option to increase our students' consumption of fruits and vegetables.
"Salad bar donations are a natural extension of Dole's ongoing commitment to childhood nutrition," said Marty Ordman, Dole's Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communications. "Stop & Shop has been a part of New England, New York and New Jersey communities for over 90 years. Their dedication to making sure that young people are living healthier lives matches our passion at Dole. We are proud to partner with them for this project."
"Growing from a single corner grocer to a chain of more than 400 stores throughout New England, New York and New Jersey, Stop & Shop has offered its customers the best selection, quality and value for more than 90 years" said Arlene Putterman, Manager, Public & Community Relations at Stop & Shop. "When children have the chance to sample fresh fruits and vegetables at school, they're more likely to ask for them at home. This is a wonderful example of how schools and businesses can work together to create healthier communities."
In November 2010, Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools, a grassroots public health initiative working in support of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Initiative was created. The partners of the initiative, including Dole, share a vision to significantly increase the number of salad bars in schools across the country until every child has the choice of healthy fruits and vegetables every day at school. This initiative goes hand in hand with the new standards from USDA, which aims to offer more nutritious choices for kids, including whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and school flavored milk that is lower in sugar and calories than ever before.
About Piscataway Township Schools
Serving over 7,500 students, Piscataway Township Schools provide K through 12 and preschool programming, special education instructional programs and services, as well as before and aftercare, adult education classes, youth enrichment programs, and summer youth programs. The mission of the Piscataway Public Schools is the continual development of each child's intellectual, aesthetic, social and physical abilities in a positive environment that fosters self-esteem, to help each student realize their individual abilities and gifts. For more information visit www.pway.org.
About Dole Food Company
Dole Food Company, with 2012 revenues of $4.2 billion, is one of the world's largest producers and marketers of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. Dole is an industry leader in many of the products it sells, as well as in nutrition education and research. For more information, please visit www.dole.com
About Stop & Shop
The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC employs approximately 62,000 associates and operates more than 400 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, and New Jersey. The company helps support local communities fight hunger, combat childhood cancer and promote general health and wellness - with emphasis on children's educational and support programs. In its commitment to be a sustainable company, Stop & Shop is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and EPA's Smart Way program; has been awarded LEED (EB) certifications for 50 of its existing stores; and has been recognized by the EPA for the superior energy management of its stores. Stop & Shop is an Ahold company. To learn more about Stop & Shop, visit www.stopandshop.com.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20130611006373/en/
Dole Food Company
Marty Ordman, 818-874-4834
marty.ordman@dole.com
KEYWORDS: United States North America New Jersey
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