WATSONVILLE, Calif. – This year’s Tour de Fresh cycling event, presented by The California Giant Foundation and supporting Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools, is heading back to the west coast. The three-day ride leading up to PMA Foodservice Conference will begin July 26 in Napa Valley and end July 28 in Monterey, Calif. Additionally, Tour de Fresh announced a second event – a one-day, 100k ride in Dallas/Fort Worth. Tentatively scheduled for Oct. 1, 2016, this event will also benefit the salad bar cause and will serve as a model for more regional Tour de Fresh events.
Available now, Tour de Fresh is offering a wide variety of sponsorship opportunities for both events to companies and brands in the fresh produce industry as well as other industries – something they’ve never done before. While still predominantly made up of support from the fresh-produce industry, the new sponsorship offerings will contribute to the event’s goals of raising at least $175,000 and donating 55+ salad bars to schools across the U.S.
“We’ve been able to set the bar higher each year because we’ve seen substantial growth in support, participants, and media attention, fueled by the need for more fruit and vegetable options in our schools” said Cindy Jewell, VP of Marketing for California Giant Berry Farms. “Our steering committee is thrilled to see the Tour expand in both participation and number of events in 2016 with new sponsorship and marketing opportunities – ultimately benefiting dozens more schools and providing terrific exposure for event sponsors and participants.”
This event not only allows fresh produce industry companies and affiliates to demonstrate their passion and commitment to living the healthy lives promoted through the products they sell, but it also provides opportunities for those companies to support the United Fresh Start Foundation’s salad bar campaign, which is committed to serving the next generation.
“I feel very fortunate to have participated in Tour de Fresh the last two years,” said Helena Beckett of Tanimura & Antle. “Our team believes wholeheartedly in providing salad bars for schools, and the culture of our company lends itself perfectly to an event like Tour de Fresh where we can rally together for a great cause, while earning exposure for our industry.”
The 2016 Tour de Fresh sponsorship packages offer companies five to ten months of marketing opportunities and media exposure, along with customized benefits based on sponsorship level. Opportunities to join confirmed sponsors – And Now U Know, California Giant Berry Farms, Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Hort Americas, Pajaro Valley Fresh, Tanimura & Antle, and Tsamma – are now available. For details about available sponsorship packages, please visit http://www.tourdefresh.com/docs/2016_TourdeFresh_Sponsorships.pdf.
For more information about the Tour de Fresh, please visit www.tourdefresh.com or contact Brock Nemecek at bnemecek@dma-solutions.com.
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 three-day cycling event that raises funds to benefit the Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools campaign. In its first two years (2014-2015), Tour de Fresh received over $300,000 in donations to support the placement of more than 100 salad bars in schools 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 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
