New Monmouth kids accept fruit challenge with help from Whole Foods Market
Bayshore Courier News
Posted:06/12/10
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Middletown (Monmouth County, NJ) - During the month of May, students at New Monmouth Elementary School engaged in a Fruit Challenge, promising to eat at least two fruits a day. Participants were entered into a raffle in which the winners were announced during a fruit-festive assembly of the school's youngest grades held on June 1st. Whole Foods Market of Middletown celebrated The Great Fruit Challenge with New Monmouth students by presenting the school with 800 apples and bananas, enough for the entire school and staff in celebration of the promotion of healthy eating habits.
New Monmouth Elementary School's two nurses, Eileen Gavin and Esther-Lynn Ciprich devised the program in their on-going efforts to promote healthy eating habits in their student body. They visited each classroom to promote participation.
Eileen Gavin states, "Recognizing the obesity epidemic that threatens our young people, we wanted to give our parents some help in reinforcing in the classroom what they promote at home-healthy eating habits."
The children sang and danced to their music teacher's especially composed fruit song at the celebratory assembly. Their principal, Linda Chadwick, then asked the children, "Why are we eating fruits every day?" To which a chorus of young voices responded, "They have good stuff in them like vitamins." "And what do we stay away from?" She countered. "Candy and junk food!" came the roaring response.
Whole Foods Market of Middletown Marketing Team Leader Susan Henderson was delighted to be contacted by the nurses to partner in the school's Great Fruit Challenge. She explains, "Whole Foods Market encourages everyone to eat a nutrient rich diet that includes a rainbow of fruits and vegetables each day. Apples and bananas, which we presented today, represent the colors red and white of that rainbow. Our new Health Starts Here Program was designed to support our seventh core value, which is to promote healthy eating education. As part of the Middletown community, we are happy to help out with healthy eating programs wherever possible."
Whole Foods Market of Middletown has also featured its Rainbow Eating Program in the Nut Swamp and Fairview Elementary Schools during the school year. Mrs. Henderson looks forward to working with other schools in the area on programs related to healthy eating. She can be reached by email at susan.henderson@wholefoods.com or contact her at 732-758-1688, ext. 251.
Photo: At the announcement of the New Monmouth Elementary School Fruit Challenge Contest winners are (left to right back row) (Whole Foods Market of Middletown Marketing Team Leader Susan Henderson, New Monmouth Nurse Eileen Gavin, New Monmouth Secretary Donna Fette, and New Monmouth Nurse Esther-Lynn Ciprich. Bottom row are the winners of the month long fruit challenge Brandon Delgrasso, first grade and Sam Calhoun, kindergarten. The students took the challenge to eat at least two fruits a day during the entire month of May.
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