Dec 14, 2015

Apples for Education donates $20,000 to school causes

The season of giving is well underway as U.S. Apple Association (USApple) and supporting brands donate $20,000 to 12 school programs this month as part of the first-ever Apples for Education: Buy an Apple, Help a Student classroom fundraising campaign. The social media-fueled cause program featured 20,000 photo uploads of fans snacking on apples and partner products to vote for and support school nominees.

“It’s incredible that, with our ‘Apple Buddies’ Marzetti, KIND Snacks, Johnsonville Sausage and Roth Cheese, we have been able to raise $20,000 in our inaugural year for participating schools,” said Wendy Brannen, Director, Consumer Health and Public Relations, USApple.

Brannen says making announcement phone calls to the project leaders was emotional—with teachers squealing, declaring gratitude, and even breaking out in tears.

“To know we can brighten these kids’ days with a piece of playground equipment, enhance their chances of a sustainable education through iPads or robotics equipment, feed their bellies something nutritious from a new family garden—it is really moving,” Brannen added.

The top five recipients are:

1. Langston Chapel Elementary School, Statesboro, GA | Playground Makeover: Creating a fun and safe space for kids to play with a total playground makeover.

Trinity Lutheran School, Conklin, MI | Rural Robotics:

1. Enhancing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs through a hands-on approach to exploring robotics.
2. Langston Chapel Elementary School, Statesboro, GA | iDon’t Have iPads: Enhancing small group reading with iPad applications, e-books and other activities.
3. Sherwood Forest Elementary School, Federal Way, WA | Apple a Day: Providing access to healthy snacks for students and their families – with apples.
4. Marie L. Greenwood Academy, Denver | Backyard Gardens: Greater access to fresh produce through a network of backyard gardens and a school farmer’s market.

Each of the 12 student causes will receive funds, with the projects that earned the most votes receiving the highest shares of the funding.

“I don’t know that I can properly convey how touching the reactions from all the teachers involved in Apples4Ed have been,” Brannen added. “They are so dedicated to their students, and the circumstances that they’ve shared with me are so dire—high gang rates in their districts, food deserts where access to fresh produce is literally unavailable, diabetes and obesity epidemics stemming from poverty-related nutrition issues, parents who work the fields to put food on other families’ tables when their own children need free and reduced lunch programs.”

About “Apples for Education: Buy an Apple, Help a Student”

Launched in September near the beginning of the school year and peak apple season, “Buy an Apple, Help a Student” featured U.S. apple growers and program partners (or “Apple Buddies”) Marzetti, Roth Cheese, Johnsonville Sausage and KIND Snacks pledging financial support to 12 student causes each time people uploaded apple or partner brand snacking images to Instagram or Apples4Ed.com.

Nominated classroom projects included school garden projects, playground makeovers and robotics education initiatives in small towns and large cities from Washington to Georgia. Communities and schools featuring selected causes rallied area teachers, students, parents and residents to snap and share photos of their snacks, with some even hosting apple-themed birthday parties, photos booths and festivals to collect images.

Over eight weeks, members of these communities along with supportive indivduals nationwide uploaded 20,000 images as votes for their favorite cause – 10 times USApple’s goal. Voting closed Nov. 15 and winning causes were notified this week.

With this year’s success, USApple plans to continue this perennial campaign to further unite the apple industry with the education community to spread the word about apples’ benefits and encourage healthy eating at all ages.