Dannon Company Promotes Physical Activity In Schools

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – As part of a commitment to improving the health and wellness of future generations, Dannon® is launching today the third annual “Rally for Recess” initiative. The program encourages parents to rally their schools’ community to give the kids a chance for more outdoor play.

Dannon’s commitment to childhood health and wellness begins with providing all types of options for the next generation, and encouraging all Americans to eat yogurt every day. As part of this, Dannon has already taken a step to improve its most popular kids’ products. Earlier this year the company reformulated its best-selling kids’ product, Danimals® Smoothie, to improve the nutrition profile and reduce the sugar content by 25%^ – without sacrificing taste.Through collecting codes on specially marked packages of Danimals and Danonino® and entering them online at www.RallyForRecess.com, five lucky schools across the continental United States will win a $30,000 playground makeover. In addition, recognizing that not all children are enrolled in school, three lucky individuals will win “Playtime at Home” prizes worth $1,000 each.

“Throughout the years we’ve held the Rally for Recess program, we’ve noticed a positive impact on the schools, communities and most importantly the kids that we've been able to help,” said Michael Neuwirth, Senior Director of Public Relations for The Dannon Company. “Since its inception, Danimals Rally for Recess has directly benefitted many schools and the scores of children who attend them in a meaningful way. And this initiative also helps kids and their parents to better understand and enjoy the benefits of eating yogurt every day.”

Last year, schools in communities ranging from Connecticut to Colorado successfully rallied their communities to be the recipients of Rally for Recess grants to upgrade their school playgrounds. The promotion is open to all elementary schools in the USA.

“I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for children to get at least the recommended hour of activity each day,” said pediatrician Dr. Joanna Dolgoff, child obesity specialist and author of Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right. “The best way I’ve found to get my own kids moving is through doing things they enjoy, like playing at the playground. That’s why this program is so important.”

Now through December 31, 2013, Dannon Rally for Recess invites community members across America to collect codes on specially marked packages of Danimals and Danonino products or to receive a free code and enter these codes online at www.RallyForRecess.com so their school can compete for a chance to win one of the five playground makeovers. Alternatively, people can choose to enter their codes for a chance to win one of the three Playtime at Home prizes.

For more information about Rally for Recess, including Official Rules and how you can help your kids enjoy a more active lifestyle, visit www.RallyForRecess.com or join the conversation on Facebook at Facebook.com/Danimals.

About Danimals

In addition to playing outdoors on a regular basis, it’s important for kids to eat well and get the right balance of foods in their diet, such as dairy, which includes nutrients like calcium. Kids can get calcium from products such as Danimals® nonfat yogurts and dairy drinks.

Danimals dairy products make snacking fun – they taste great and are available in a variety of delicious fruity flavors and fun formats. Kids will love shaking up the Smoothies, and mixing fun toppings from Crunchers into delicious nonfat yogurt. All Danimals dairy products contain calcium, which is a critical mineral that kids need to help build strong bones and help regulate muscle function. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans identify calcium as a nutrient of concern for American adults and children, and recommend increasing intake of foods that provide it.1

All Danimals dairy products – Smoothies, all of the Crunchers° varieties and Danimals Nonfat Yogurt – are:

    A good source of calcium and Vitamin D,° to help kids build strong bones and help regulate muscle function
    Products that contain no High Fructose Corn Syrup

Danimals Smoothie and Danimals Crunchers with Grahams also contain:

    Only the Good Stuff® —No Artificial Colors or Flavors

°Danimals Crunchers with Rainbow Sprinkles contains 2g of saturated fat per 3.5oz

About Danonino

Did you know that 90% of bone strength is developed before adulthood†? You want to make sure your kids get enough calcium. Danonino has essential nutrients to help little ones grow up healthy and strong when consumed as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. Danonino products contain:

    Danonino 1.76oz Dairy Snack: ounce per ounce, 2x the amount of calcium of leading kids yogurts*
    Protein*
    Vitamin D†*
    No artificial colors or flavors
    No high fructose corn syrup

^Previous Danimals Smoothies: 14g sugar per 3.1 fl oz
New Danimals Smoothies: 10g Sugar per 3.1 fl oz

†* Consume as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. Danonino Dairy Snack contains 81% DV protein and 30% DV Vitamin D per 8oz (225g). Contains 19% DV protein and 6% DV Vitamin D per 1.76oz. (50g) cup. Contains 1g of saturated fat per 1.76oz (50g) cup. Ounce per ounce, Danonino Dairy Snack contains twice the amount (10% more of the DV) of calcium of leading kids yogurts. Contains 10% more of the DV of calcium (80mg) than leading kids yogurts. Danonino 20% DV (155mg) of calcium; Leading kids yogurts 8% DV (70mg) of calcium per 1.76 oz.

Danonino products are available in a variety of enjoyable flavors and are found in the dairy aisle of grocery stores nationwide.

About The Dannon Company, Inc.

Headquartered in White Plains, New York, The Dannon Company, Inc. has plants in Minster, OH, Fort Worth, TX, West Jordan, UT, and Portland, OR, which make more than 200 different flavors, styles and sizes of cultured refrigerated and frozen dairy products to serve its retail and foodservice customers. Dannon brings health through food to as many people as possible via its diverse offering of delicious and wholesome fresh and frozen yogurts.

Dannon is a subsidiary of Danone, and Dannon is the top-selling brand of yogurt worldwide, sold under the names Dannon and Danone. Dannon’s commitment to health is also illustrated through the support of the Dannon Institute, a non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting research, education and communication about the links between nutrition, diet and health.

Danone is one of the fastest-growing food companies in the world. Its mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible. The company, whose products are sold on five continents, has more than 180 production plants and around 100,000 employees. In 2011, Danone generated sales of €19 billion, of which more than half were in emerging markets. The company holds top positions in healthy food through four businesses: Fresh Dairy Products, Baby Nutrition, Bottled Water and Medical Nutrition. Listed on Euronext Paris, Danone is a component stock of leading social responsibility indexes including the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, ASPI Eurozone and the Ethibel Sustainability Index.

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO PARTICIPATE OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. MANY WILL PARTICIPATE, ONLY 3 ENTRANTS AND 5 SCHOOLS WILL WIN A PRIZE. Open to legal residents of the 48 contiguous U.S./D.C., who are 2 years of age or older. Void in AK, HI, PR and where prohibited by law. First ask your parents for permission to enter and then go to www.rallyforrecess.com. Begins at 12:00:00 a.m. EST on 8/1/13 & ends at 11:59:59 p.m. EST on 12/31/13 or when all Code supplies have been exhausted, whichever occurs first. See inside specially-marked packages of DANNON® Danimals® or Danonino® products for codes. FOR FREE MEANS OF ENTRY and official rules, visit www.rallyforrecess.com

1 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. 2010. Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Washington, DC.

Source: The Dannon Company, Inc.