USApple’s “Buy an Apple, Help a Student” Campaign Off To Healthy Start
September 30, 2015 Already U.S. Apple Association (USApple)’s fall seasonal campaign is off with a bang. With 11 school projects from across the country competing for funding, those in the mix were anxious to hit the ground running this past weekend — one school in Michigan even organizing an “Apples for Education” event outside the local Dollar General store to vie for votes.
Supporting school causes is as easy as taking a bite out of your favorite apple with “Buy an Apple, Help a Student,” a fundraising program featuring the U.S. apple industry and your favorite brands working together to provide financial support to student projects nationwide every time a person shares a photo of an apple or related product.
“We love the time-honored connection between apples and education and wanted to bring it to life with a fun program that lets people turn their daily apple into direct support for important classroom projects nationwide,” Wendy Brannen, director of consumer health and public relations with USApple. “With Buy an Apple, Help a Student, enjoying an apple or delicious pairing from our Apple Buddies can go a long way in supporting healthy bodies and minds.”
Now through Nov. 15, visit Apples4Ed.com to read quick profiles of 11 student causes (full list also below) – classroom projects in need of funding that range from new school gardens and improved libraries to updated technology, revitalized playgrounds and enhanced resources for teachers. Supporting these causes takes four simple, delicious and healthy steps:
- Snack: Grab an apple, apple juice, applesauce and/or delicious products made by program partners (or “Apple Buddies”) Marzetti, KIND Snacks, Roth Cheese, and Johnsonville Sausage.
- Snap: Take a picture enjoying (selfies preferred, not required).
- Tag: Find a school cause at Apples4Ed.com. Tag your photo with the project’s name and hashtag #Apples4Ed.
- Share: Vote for your fave school cause by uploading your photo to Apples4Ed.com or sharing on Instagram.
For every vote, USApple – representing the U.S. apple industry – and program Apple Buddies will pledge financial contributions to nominated projects to help them reach their goals. Individuals can vote as often as they desire; each pic individuals upload enjoying apples and apple pairings using Apple Buddy products counts as a vote.
Through mid-November, as the program collects photos and tallies votes, USApple and program Apple Buddies will encourage participation with weekly drawings in which participants can win Apple store gift cards and have money donated directly to their selected project. In addition, individuals who visit Apples4Ed.com will find helpful facts about apples’ many health benefits, as well as a variety of original recipes created by “Top Chef” fan favorite chef Dave Martin. The quick recipes pair apples with products and ingredients from the partner programs.
MEET THE CAUSES:
- Marie L. Greenwood Academy, Denver, CO: Growing Gardens: Living in a food desert, students at this low-income public school need greater access to fresh produce. Marie L. Greenwood Academy hopes to fulfill this need and improve nutrition with a network of 40 backyard and container gardens, each specializing in growing specific vegetables, which will be exchanged with other network families at a school Farmer’s Market.
- The Washington Apple Education Foundation, Wenatchee, WA: Providing Scholarships: To help students achieve their academic goals, WAEF offers scholarships to college students raised in families employed in the tree fruit industry. Thanks to the WAEF scholarship program, many of these students are the first in their families to attend college. Money will fund Apples4Ed scholarships in this program.
- Trinity Lutheran School, Conklin, MI: Rural Robotics: “Rural Robotics” is a new initiative designed to expand and enhance the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) program at Trinity Lutheran School. This course will give students a hands-on approach to exploring robotics by providing the small, rural school with programmable robots as well as the tablets and software needed for their programming.
- Cabarrus School District, Concord, NC: Revitalizing Phys. Ed: To elevate the effectiveness of physical education classes, Cabarrus School District is in need of funding to support district-wide professional development and resources for teachers, along with new equipment sets and additional activity time such as recess and in-class/after-school activities.
- Charles E. Boger Elementary School, Kannapolis, NC: Promoting Active Lifestyles: To increase student’s knowledge and access to innovative PE experiences that can also be applied at home, Charles E. Boger Elementary is seeking funding to support professional development for teachers as well as new equipment to create a “FIT Lab” that engages students on a path to physical fitness.
- Winston-Salem/Forsyth Schools, Winston-Salem, NC: Increasing Physical Literacy: Funding will support training and professional development for teachers as well as new equipment designed to increase students’ physical literacy and improve their chances of being lifelong movers.
- Langston Chapel Elementary School, Statesboro, GA: Boosting Creativity with iPads: For small group instruction, the fifth-grade reading class at Langston Chapel Elementary School is in need of a set of 18 mini iPads that will be used to pique student interest and boost creativity using applications, eBooks and other activities.
- Warrensburg Schools, Warrensburg, MO: Eating from the Garden: Now in its fifth year, Eating from the Garden, a course for elementary students, focuses on eating healthy, growing your own fruits and vegetables, and being a good steward of the land. Funding will be used to purchase gardening soil, fertilizers, tools, supplies, as well as fruits and vegetables for bi-monthly student tasting.
- Langston Chapel Elementary School, Statesboro, GA: Playground Makeover: The elementary school is in need of a playground makeover. Updating old equipment, adding new activities and providing students with a fun place to play is their number one priority.
- Sherwood Forest Elementary, Federal Way, WA: Daily Apple Snacks: Many students come to school each day without a healthy snack or lunch. Sherwood Forest Elementary would like to implement a program that provides access to healthy snacks for students and their families while giving them an opportunity to experience the unique taste of each apple variety.
- Schoharie School District, Schoharie, NY: Connecting Farm to School: The Farm to School Project strives to educate children as well as the community on food, agriculture and nutrition. Funding will support the school’s upcoming “Farm to School Day at the Farmers Market,” “Apple Crunch” Food Day aimed at educating the community, and classroom programs presenting apple’s benefits and school-wide taste testing of apple varieties.
In December, USApple and partners will announce the cause with the most votes, which will receive the highest donation. Every classroom featured on the site will, however, receive funds.
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