Rainier Fruit Celebrates As The Official Apple Of The Boston Marathon For Third Consecutive Year

Selah, WA: The 122nd Boston Marathon is officially on the books, and Rainier Fruit is becoming a familiar and welcome sight for runners and attendees as the company marks their third consecutive year as a major sponsor of the event. As the Official Apple of the Boston Marathon, Rainier Fruit makes nearly 100,000 apples available to runners, guests, and fans in the days surrounding the event and blankets retailers throughout the northeast with marathon branded display ready cartons.

In the midst of cold temperatures, heavy rain and windy conditions that made this year’s marathon historically challenging, and yet, highly exciting with top U.S. finishers and non-elite medalers, Rainier Fruit was proud to support the athletes and fans who braved the elements and embodied the spirit that has made this race great. 

“There’s nothing quite like the Boston Marathon,” remarked Andy Tudor, VP of Business Development at Rainier Fruit, “Even in an epic downpour, the city still comes alive with energy surrounding the marathon. People gear up, and come out to support the runners—spending hours outside to cheer for strangers. It’s a really wonderful demonstration of community and we’re happy to play a part in it.”

Although Patriots’ Day weather presented challenges it didn’t dampen the spirit of those participating. Runners and spectators alike got creative, sporting shower caps, plastic bags tied around shoes to create makeshift galoshes, and multiple layers of clothing. Rainier Fruit had tents at the finish line in downtown Boston, as well as at the Newton Fire Station located just past mile seventeen before the famed Heartbreak Hill.  At these tents, the team distributed apples, t-shirts and towels emblazoned with Rainier’s “Wholesome to the Core” message.

It’s that Wholesome to the Core message the drives Rainier’s values-based participation in the marathon. Over the past several years, Rainier Fruit has put their Wholesome to the Core philosophy into practice, supporting events that promote healthy, active lifestyles and community engagement. Their work with marathons all across the country, and most recently expanding into Wanderlust yoga events has transformed them from simply a fruit company into an active lifestyle brand, providing the fuel for strong starts and finishes. The ability to put these lifestyle events into action in the community is even more rewarding.

For the second year in a row, Rainier Fruit partnered with Whole Foods Boston to support One Boston Day. Through an in-store ad and matching fund on purchased apples, Rainier helped raised over $4000 for the Last Call Foundation of Boston which works to advance and promote the access to fire safety training and equipment to better prepare firefighters in the line of duty. In addition to the Whole Foods partnership, Rainier also partnered with the Newton Firefighter’s Children’s Fund to help raise funds to support children of fallen firefighters.

As part of their marathon activation, Rainier Fruit also works with athletes throughout the throughout the industry and beyond to identify runners looking to participate in the Boston Marathon. This year, the Rainier team included 6 runners, plus a partnership with the Newton Fire Department Children’s Fund which included another 10 runners. Rainier is proud to report that all of their team runners finished the race in great condition.

“Finding the strength to push through this year’s challenging weather is not only impressive; it’s what we mean when we say ‘Wholesome to the Core’.” Tudor explains, “At Rainier Fruit we want to support people as they cultivate the best in themselves, pushing harder and overcoming obstacles. It’s pretty amazing what the human spirit can accomplish and farming has given us great appreciation for the often herculean tasks of forging ahead when Mother Nature is unkind.”

This year’s marathon certainly provided plenty of obstacles, but expect Rainier Fruit to continue to show up and support communities where people put health and well-being first.

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About Rainier Fruit: Rainier Fruit is a multi-generation, vertically integrated fruit company based in Selah, WA.  For more than 100 years, Rainier Fruit has cultivated a culture of stewardship that extends from their orchards to their communities that has made them an industry leader in the production of apples, pears, cherries and blueberries.

Source: Rainier Fruit