Industry Donates Better-for-You Products for Student Events in Nine Cities Including NY, SF, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Seattle and St. Louis
CHICAGO, June 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — As part of its Balanced for Life health and wellness initiative designed to help address rising childhood obesity rates, the nation’s vending industry is sponsoring Jamborees!, fun day-long festivals where students play back-to-back soccer matches and learn about the best ways to stay fit. The Nation’s vending industry is donating ‘better-for-you’ snacks to thousands of America Scores students across the country who are competing in these Jamborees!, National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) President and CEO Richard M. Geerdes, NCE announced today. At the soccer Jamborees! hundreds of students, parents, teachers and community leaders turn out to watch the children play soccer matches and celebrate the importance of literacy and physical activity.
In speaking about the Jamborees! Geerdes said, “America Scores is an excellent partner for our Balanced for Life campaign because it gets kids active by teaching them to play soccer. We’re delighted to provide these ‘better for you’ products to these competing students, and especially want to thank ARAMARK Corporation for donating them to students competing in nine cities across the country.”
Balanced for Life is a national health and wellness initiative launched by the vending industry in January 2005. The program helps adults and students understand the elements of a balanced diet and the importance of being physically active. As part of the program the industry works with America Scores, a national non-profit after school program that mixes poetry writing and soccer to educate students about the importance of literacy and a healthy lifestyle. Students have been participating in Jamborees! all spring, with events in New York, the Bay Area, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Seattle and St. Louis. When not on the soccer field, students can visit the Balanced for Life booth to learn how to Be a Smart Snacker and compete to see who can jump rope the longest. For more information about Balanced for Life visit www.balancedforlife.net.
NAMA is the national trade association of the food and refreshment vending, coffee services and foodservice management industries including on- site, commissary, catering, & mobile. Its membership is comprised of service companies, equipment manufacturers and suppliers of products and services to operating service companies.
Source: National Automatic Merchandising Association
