Honolulu, HI (March 2, 2011) – Whole Foods Market recently awarded grants to seven Hawai‘i schools, which will allow them to install salad bars and provide local students with access to fresh fruits and vegetables during school meals. The seven schools include H?lau Ku Mana and Waikiki School on O‘ahu, Kanuikapono Public Charter School and Kapa‘a High School on Kaua‘i as well as Maui Haleakala Waldorf School, Hana School and Kihei Charter School on Maui. The grants are a part of Whole Foods Market’s Salad Bar Project, a national campaign to help empower schools to increase students’ lunchtime consumption of fruits and vegetables.
“We are so excited to be able to provide healthy lunchtime options for Hawai‘i’s keiki and bring salad bars with fresh fruits and vegetables into local schools,” said Natalie Aczon, Whole Foods Market K?hala marketing supervisor. “Whole Foods Market is committed to providing the community with access to healthy and all-natural food and this is just one way that we can help get the next generation excited about eating greens.”
All schools receiving grants from the Salad Bar Project will be sent healthy salad bar kits in the next few weeks. The kits include a five-well Cambro® salad bar complete with utensils, pan inserts, chilling pads and training tools. Salad bar training tools and videos for school nutrition staff will also be available through TheLunchBox.org, which Whole Foods Market shoppers helped to raise funds to build in 2009 so all schools can have access to healthier food tools and tips.
“According to a recent study, just one percent of adolescents eat as many servings of fruits and vegetables as recommended by the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” added Aczon. “It is our hope that with access to a salad bar that our local keiki will have the opportunity to make healthier food choices.”
Whole Foods Market shoppers surpassed the goal of $750,000, donating more than $1.4 million to the Salad Bar Project during the grocer’s four-week in-store and online fundraising campaign in September. The company partnered with Chef Ann Cooper’s nonprofit, F3: Food Family Farming Foundation, to administer the grant application process. The Foundation received over 700 applications and has scheduled shipment of 460 salad bars to date, and is finalizing the review of 90 additional qualifying schools. Visit saladbars2schools.org for a current list of schools that have received salad bars.
To make an even larger impact in lunchrooms across the country, Whole Foods Market announced it is a founding partner of Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools, whose goal is to provide 6,000 salad bars across the nation by 2013. For more information about Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools, visit saladbars2schools.org.
For additional information on Whole Foods Market K?hala, please visit www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/honolulu/ or call (808) 738 ?0820. Whole Foods Market K?hala is also on twitter, www.twitter.com/wfmkahala and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WholeFoodsKahala with updates on store events and sales.
