ORLANDO, Fla. – Across the country, shoppers can stock up on fresh produce and help raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals® and other local children’s charities this spring and summer. Starting May 2, Produce for Kids® will kick off its 12th annual Get Healthy, Give Hope campaign in 17 participating grocery store chains, which is expected to pass $5 million in overall contributions in 2014.
“Produce for Kids is committed to educating families on the benefits of healthy eating and inspiring parents and children to create nutritious and delicious meals together,” said John Shuman, president of Produce for Kids. “For more than a decade, our organization has partnered with regional supermarkets and produce companies to provide much-needed funding for local children’s organizations. This is an important year for the program, as we expect to surpass the $5 million mark in total funds raised.”
The Get Healthy, Give Hope campaign will run from May through July 2014 with the support of more than 35 participating fresh fruit and vegetable suppliers, representing every major category of fresh produce. Suppliers will make a consumption-based donation to local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and other community children’s organizations. The more items from participating companies that shoppers purchase, the more local children’s organizations benefit.
In-store signage will be featured in more than 2,500 grocery stores and fresh markets in 30 states and the District of Columbia, which will notify shoppers of all participating produce companies. In-store materials also will point shoppers to www.produceforkids.com for additional information on the campaign, more than 150 produce-centered recipes and healthy tips from real parents.
For the third year, Produce for Kids also will continue its successful partnership with Sprout®, the 24-hour preschool network. Sprout characters, including Chica from The Chica Show, will be featured on in-store displays and signage. Additionally, Sprout characters will interact with kids at Produce for Kids’ in-store appearances encouraging exercise and healthy eating. Sprout will promote the campaign through daily national campaign-focused television spots and web banners on www.SproutOnline.com, which receives more than 1 million visits monthly.
“We are pleased to once again partner with Produce for Kids and the Get Healthy, Give Hope campaign to inspire families through characters they love about the benefits of healthy eating,” said Jennifer Giddens, vice president of marketing at Sprout.
Produce for Kids will promote the campaign through all platforms of social media, and will host various sweepstakes and giveaways on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Produce for Kids will also engage mom bloggers in each participating retail partner’s markets to help spread the healthy eating message. In addition, Produce for Kids will be hosting monthly Twitter parties during the campaign focused on seasonal healthy eating topics.
Grocery retail partners participating in the Get Healthy, Give Hope campaign include: Ahold’s GIANT and Martin’s Food Stores, Giant Landover, and Stop & Shop divisions; Associated Wholesale Grocers’ Major Savings, Advantage, Independent, Country Mart, Homeland and United divisions; Meijer Stores; Price Chopper; Publix Super Markets; and Roundy’s Supermarkets, Inc.’s Pick n' Save, Rainbow Foods, Copps Food Center, Metro Market divisions.
Sponsored products for each supermarket can be found on display materials in the grocery stores’ fresh produce departments and online at www.produceforkids.com.
About Produce for Kids®
Produce for Kids® is a philanthropically based organization that brings the produce industry together to educate consumers about healthy eating with fresh produce and raises funds for local children’s non-profit organizations. Since its creation in 2002 by Shuman Produce Inc., Produce for Kids has raised more than $4.8 million to benefit kids. To learn more about Produce for Kids and healthy eating, visit www.produceforkids.com,Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram.
About Sprout®
Sprout is the first 24-hour preschool destination available on TV, on demand and online for children ages 2-6 and their parents and caregivers. Available in over 55 million homes with programming structured to follow the day of the child from morning to night, Sprout features original programming, including The Chica Show and Noodle and Doodle, a library of gold standard series, including Caillou and Sesame Street, and U.S. exclusives including Lazytown and Tree Fu Tom. Sprout’s hosted programming blocks, including The Sunny Side Up Show and The Good Night Show, serve as tools to guide parents as they help children prepare for their days and nights with activities, user generated content, stories, and more. Viewers are encouraged to submit artwork, birthday wishes, videos and more through SproutOnline.com, which has received over five million viewer interactions to-date. Sprout’s VOD offering is the #1 on demand service for younger children with over 1.5 billion views. Sprout was fully acquired by NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment in November 2013.
About Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals®
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals® raises funds and awareness for 170 member hospitals that provide 32 million treatments each year to kids across the U.S. and Canada. Donations stay local to fund critical treatments and healthcare services, pediatric medical equipment and charitable care. Since 1983, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has raised more than $5 billion, most of it $1 at a time through the charity's Miracle Balloon icon. Its various fundraising partners and programs support the nonprofit's mission to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible. Find out why children's hospitals need community support, identify your member hospital and learn how you can Put Your Money Where the Miracles Are, at CMNHospitals.org and facebook.com/CMNHospitals.
Source: Produce for Kids
