News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
DATE:
 January 6, 2020
CONTACT: Kathy Sautter
716 635 5577

   
TOPS FRIENDLY MARKETS AND DOLE PACKAGED FOODS REUNITING FOR SCHOOL LEARNING GARDEN CONTEST
January 6, 2020– Buffalo, NY - - Yesterday, Tops Friendly Markets and Dole Packaged Foods LLC launched the fourth annual Learning Garden contest that will grant two elementary schools in either upstate New York, Vermont or Northern Pennsylvania a Captain Planet Foundation Learning Garden. The contest is underway and runs until February 7, 2020.

Tops shoppers can enter their school for a chance to win by visiting topsmarkets.com or https://captainplanetfoundation.org/contest/topsmarkets/ and filling out the contest application. Two lucky schools will win a comprehensive Learning Garden complete with lesson kits filled with supplies, a schoolyard garden, fully-equipped garden cooking cart, and strategies for summer garden maintenance.

The Learning Garden program provides a context for multidisciplinary learning, ranging from nutrition and science to social, studies, math and language arts. Students benefit by expanding their palates, taste-testing healthy foods, and learning about food origins.

Last year’s winning schools were Boston Valley Elementary School in Hamburg, NY and New Creation Fellowship Academy in Cheektowaga, NY. Other past winning elementary schools have included Nardin Academy in Buffalo, NY, Letchworth Elementary School in Gainseville, NY, Hillel Community Day School in Rochester, NY, and Penn Yan Elementary in Penn Yan, NY.

“Dole is very excited to be partnering with Tops Friendly Markets again to bring two lucky schools Learning Gardens. It is so important for children to learn about where their food comes from and develop healthy eating habits at an early age,” said Marty Ordman, communications director, Dole Packaged Foods.

“So many subjects can be taught in the garden and hands-on garden learning is an excellent way to support student understanding of natural systems, food origins, and healthy eating,” explained Leesa Carter, president & CEO of Captain Planet Foundation. “Captain Planet Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that kids are armed with an understanding of the natural world in which they live, and we are thrilled to be partnering again with Tops and Dole Packaged Foods to provide two lucky schools in with Project Learning Garden.”

“Tops Friendly Markets is excited to partner with Dole and the Captain Planet Foundation for a 4th year. We are committed to supporting educational excellence and the hands-on garden and curriculum is an integral part of the conversation when teaching kids where their food comes from,” says Diane Colgan, senior VP of marketing & decision support, Tops Friendly Markets. “We encourage every elementary school to consider entering for their chance at winning this great free resource.” resource.” About Dole Packaged Foods Dole Packaged Foods LLC, a subsidiary of Dole International Holdings, is a leader in growing, sourcing, distributing and marketing fruit, vegetables and healthy snacks throughout the world. Dole markets a full line of innovative packaged, frozen and dried fruit. The company focuses on four pillars of sustainability in all its operations: water management, carbon footprint, soil conservation and packaging. For more information, please visit dolesunshine.com or doleintlcsr.com.

About Tops Friendly Markets Tops Markets, LLC is headquartered in Williamsville, NY and operates 159 full-service supermarkets with five additional franchise stores and is the largest private, for-profit employer in Western New York. As a leading grocery retailer in New York, northern Pennsylvania, and western Vermont, and with the support of 14,000 associates, our core mission is to help our communities flourish. We support programs that seek to eradicate hunger and disease; promote the education of our youth; and to ensure we reduce environmental waste and energy consumption while providing our customers with sustainably sourced, high quality products. For more information, visit www.topsmarkets.com

About Captain Planet Foundation (CPF) Based on the critically-acclaimed animated series Captain Planet and the Planeteers, CPF was co-founded in 1991 by media mogul Ted Turner and producer Barbara Pyle. Since then, the Captain Planet Foundation has played a critical role in helping to ensure that the next generation of business leaders and policy makers are environmentally literate citizens who leverage technology and information to manage and protect the air, land, and water upon which all life depends.

CPF is a grant-making foundation that has funded over 2,000 hands-on environmental education projects with schools and non-profits that serve children in all 50 U.S. states and in 25 countries internationally. More than 1.4 million children have directly participated in and benefited from these educational projects. In addition to its Small Grants Program, the Captain Planet Foundation also operates the following programs: Project Learning Garden, Project Hero, Youth Voice, and the Institute. For more information: www.captainplanetfoundation.org.

 

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