WATSONVILLE, Calif. – Partners of Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools, Whole Foods Market and Whole Kids Foundation, will support this year’s Tour de Fresh by hosting the start and finish line ceremonies on the final ride day in Atlanta on Oct. 22.
Beginning at the Whole Kids Foundation Youth Education Farm in Roswell, GA, Tour de Fresh riders will cycle their final 20 miles and finish at the Sandy Springs Whole Foods Market in Atlanta on Oct. 22, where healthy snacks and smoothies will be served to riders, sponsors, guests and media. As Founding Sponsors for Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools, Whole Foods Market and Whole Kids Foundation regularly promote the importance of increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables for younger generations. Their work for this cause aligns perfectly with Tour de Fresh’s vision and goals.
“Whole Kids Foundation greatly admires and appreciates the participants in Tour de Fresh for their significant support of Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools. The chance for thousands of kids to choose fresh fruits and vegetables every day at lunch makes an enormous impact on health, wellness and our children’s ability to reach their ultimate potential,” said Nona Evans, Executive Director at Whole Kids Foundation, “We’re thrilled to host the team for the final leg of the tour at the Whole Kids Foundation Youth Education Farm because each rider will be able experience what it means for kids to know where their food comes from!”
Tour de Fresh riders have currently raised over $92,000 and are continuing to raise funds to support their goal of $195,000. To celebrate their fundraising efforts thus far, Tour de Fresh will be placing 20 salad bars, through Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools, in the following school districts:
- De Smet School, S.D.
- Balsz School District, Ariz.
- South Rhoutt School District, Colo.
- Mt. Diablo Unified School District, Calif.
- St. Louis Public School District, Mo.
- Mentor Exempted Public Schools, Ohio
- Martinez School District, Calif.
- Jersey City School District, N.J.
- Boulder Valley School District, Colo.
- Union School District, Calif.
- Menomonie School District, Wis.
- Janesville School District, Wis.
“Our steering committee has been passionate about speeding up the process by which schools receive salad bar donations in order to give these districts the longest possible school year with fresh fruits and vegetables.,” said Cindy Jewell, Vice President of Marketing at California Giant Berry Farms. “We can’t wait to see the total amount of fundraising efforts at the end of this event, and hope to add at least 40 more salad bars shortly after!”
To continue to support individual riders and their corresponding schools, please visit the Tour de Fresh website. All who donate a minimum of $10 before Oct. 15 will be entered to win a Blendtec® Designer 625 Blender, valued at $480.
A shuttle to and from PMA Fresh Summit will be available for those needing transportation to the Finish Line Ceremony. The shuttle will pick up in front of the convention center at 10:55am on Oct. 22, and will return to the convention center following the conclusion of the 12 noon Finish Line Ceremony and check presentation to the United Fresh Foundation.
In addition to the valuable help provided by Whole Foods Market and Whole Kids Foundation, the Tour de Fresh Finish Line Ceremony is possible, thanks to the generous support of Premier Sponsors and Finish Line Ceremony Sponsors: BIRKO, Blendtec, California Giant Berry Farms, CHEP, Infinite Gold by Sakata, iTradeNetwork, Lipman, Natural Delights Medjool Dates, NatureSweet Tomatoes, ONEONTA, Pajaro, SUNSET, Tanimura & Antle, Tsamma, and USA Pears.
For more information, please visit www.tourdefresh.com and follow Tour de Fresh on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Tour de Fresh
Tour de Fresh, presented by The California Giant Foundation, is the first-of-its-kind, collaborative event that unites the most significant brands and influencers in the fresh produce industry for a four-day cycling event that raises funds to benefit the Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools campaign. The inaugural event, in 2014, raised over $142,000 and placed over 40 salads bars in communities in 11 states including California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Texas, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. The goal of the 2015 Tour de Fresh and its participants is to privately finance 100+ new salad bars in school districts across the country. At a cost of less than $3,000 per salad bar per school, sponsors and participants alike strongly believe that providing healthy eating opportunities for school children should be a requirement.
About Whole Kids Foundation
Whole Kids Foundation, a Whole Foods Market foundation, is based in Austin, Texas, and operates as an independent, nonprofit organization. Its mission is to improve children's nutrition and wellness, with the goal of ending the childhood obesity epidemic. Through partnerships with innovative organizations, schools and educators, the foundation works to provide children access to healthier choices and aims to help children reach their full potential through the strength of a healthy body. To learn more about Whole Kids Foundation and its salad bar, school garden and healthy teacher programs, visit www.wholekidsfoundation.org.
About Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools
Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools is a public health campaign to increase salad bars in schools across the country so that every child has the choice of healthy fruits and vegetables every day at school. Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools supports First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative to end childhood obesity in a generation. Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools founding partners are: The United Fresh Start Foundation, National Fruit and Vegetable Alliance, the Chef Ann Foundation and Whole Kids Foundation. More information can be found online at www.saladbars2schools.org.
Source: Tour de Fresh