Danimals Sponsoring Playground Makeovers For Five Lucky Schools

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.– It’s not easy being a kid – so Danimals says, give kids a break! With the launch of Danimals “Rally for Recess,” you can “rally” efforts in your community to give kids the chance for more outdoor fun. By collecting Danimals package codes and entering them online at www.RallyForRecess.com, five lucky schools across America will have the opportunity to win a playground makeover of up to $20,000 and an all-day recess celebration that could include a climbing wall, dunk tank, obstacle course and large slide.

“The Importance of Play in Promoting Health Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent Child Bond.”
.Whatever Happened To Recess?

Experts agree that time spent playing outside can help kids release energy, socialize with peers, develop emotionally and physically, and learn to be creative and spontaneous. Yet playtime is becoming more infrequent every day. In fact, in the last two decades, children have lost an average of eight hours of free play a week and in some cities new schools are now being built without playgrounds.1 This decline has caused the American Academy of Pediatrics to call the lack of playtime a national crisis since decreased physical activity may lead to greater rates of childhood obesity, a rapidly growing epidemic.2

“Play is a critical component of healthy childhood development,” says Dr. Joanna Dolgoff, a pediatrician, child obesity expert and author of Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right. “A lack of physical activity can definitely have a negative impact on a child’s intellectual and physical development.”

The current recommendation is for children to engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day.3 It has been further recommended that half of the amount of physical activity take place at school, including at recess.4

Recess Reinvented, Refreshed and Revitalized

In keeping with Danimals’ longtime dedication to helping kids balance good nutrition with an active lifestyle, now through February 8, 2012, Rally for Recess invites families to collect codes on Danimals packages (or free by mail) and enter the codes online so their school could be one of five lucky winners.

The chance to win the new playground and all-day recess party to celebrate the dawn of a fun new day is as easy as 1-2-3!

1. Visit RallyforRecess.com

2. Enter codes found under the packaging wrap

3. Go outside and play!

For more information on Rally for Recess and how you can help your kids enjoy a more active lifestyle, visit RallyforRecess.com or Facebook.com/Danimals.

Danimals’ Healthy Benefits

Danimals, a nutritious, on-the-go lowfat yogurt or smoothie, gives moms an easy, fun and nutritious choice for kids. It contains calcium to help build strong bones and Danimals Crush Cup™ and Danimals Double Crush Cup™ contain protein which is essential in helping kids grow strong muscles and maintain healthy skeletal systems. The nutritious benefits that come with including Danimals products in children’s daily diets include:

•A good source of Calcium
•A good source of protein in Danimals Crush Cup™ and Danimals Double Crush Cup™
•Only natural colors and flavors, with no high fructose corn syrup
Moms can choose between Danimals Smoothie, Crush Cup™, Double Crush Cup™ and Coolisions®, which come in a variety of tasty and fruity flavors. Danimals are found in the dairy aisle of grocery stores nationwide. Visit www.dannon.com/storelocator.aspx to find a location near you.

About The Dannon Company, Inc.

The Dannon Company is America's founding national yogurt company and continually leverages its expertise to develop and market innovative cultured fresh dairy products in the United States. Headquartered in White Plains, NY, Dannon has plants in Minster, OH, Fort Worth, TX, and West Jordan, UT and produces approximately 100 different types of flavors, styles and sizes of cultured fresh dairy products. Dannon is a subsidiary of Danone, one of the world's leading producers of packaged foods and beverages, and Dannon is the top-selling brand of yogurt products worldwide, sold under the names Dannon and Danone.

With a strong commitment to high-quality, wholesome, nutritious and innovative products, The Dannon Company is committed to encouraging people to eat a balanced diet and live a healthy lifestyle. In 2010, for the tenth year in a row, Danone was listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, a worldwide reference for socially responsible businesses. Danone is a recognized leader for its contributions to nutrition and health and was ranked best in class in a 2008 JPMorgan & Insight Investment study about the response of the world's largest food companies to obesity and health-related concerns. This commitment is also illustrated through The Dannon Company's support of the Dannon Institute, an independent, non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting research, education, and communication about the links between nutrition, diet and health. For more information, please visit www.dannon.com.

ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THE DANNON® DANIMALS® RALLY FOR RECESS PROGRAM. MANY WILL ENTER, FEW WILL WIN. Program consists of the Dannon® Danimals Rally for Recess Promotion (the “Promotion”) and an Instant Win Game (the “Game”). Program starts 12:00:01 a.m. ET on 8/1/11, ends 11:59:59 p.m. ET on 1/31/12, or while supplies of codes last. Codes can be found under the overwrap of specially marked packages of DANNON® Danimals® products. For Official Rules, which govern, ask your parents and go to www.rallyforrecess.com. To obtain a free code, mail a 3”x5” card or piece of paper with your date of birth and valid e-mail address hand-printed on it in an envelope with proper postage affixed to: DANNON® Danimals® Rally for Recess Free Code Request, P.O. Box 1941, Danbury, CT 06813-1941. Requests must be postmarked no later than 1/31/12 and received by 2/7/12. Codes must be submitted by 11:59:59 p.m. ET on 2/8/12 to be eligible. Open to legal residents of the 48 Continental U.S. & D.C., 5-15 years of age (OR A PARENT/LEGAL GUARDIAN OF AN ELIGIBLE MINOR). Eligible minors should obtain the permission of their parents or legal guardians prior to participating. Void in AK, HI, PR and where prohibited. Sponsor: The DANNON Company, Inc.

1 Elkind, David. "Can We Play?" Greater Good 2008: Web.
2 Ginsburg, Kenneth. “The Importance of Play in Promoting Health Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent Child Bond.” PEDIATRICS. 119.1 (2007): 182-191. Print.
3 "Building ‘Generation Play’: Addressing the Crisis of Inactivity Among America's Children." Stanford Prevention Research Center Stanford University School of Medicine. (2007): Print.
4 "Building ‘Generation Play’: Addressing the Crisis of Inactivity Among America's Children." Stanford Prevention Research Center Stanford University School of Medicine. (2007): Print.

Source: Dannon