MORE SCHOOLS RECEIVE FRUIT, VEGGIES AND FRIDGES

VANCOUVER – The School Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program will expand to include a total of 50 schools, Minister of State for ActNow BC Gordon Hogg announced today. Hogg also announced that the Fridges in Schools Program has reached a milestone, with over 70 fridges delivered to date.

Following evaluation of a one-year pilot project in 10 schools last year, the ministries of Agriculture and Lands, Education, and Health have developed a plan to provide the fruit and vegetable program to up to 50 schools for 2007. The plan also calls for a phased expansion over the next three years to ensure that all B.C. public schools have an opportunity to participate in the program by 2010.

“Eating your fruits and veggies and drinking milk are all healthy choices that children should make on a daily basis,” said Hogg. “The expansion of the School Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program will encourage and teach B.C. kids the positive outcomes of healthy eating.”

Announced in March 2005 by Premier Gordon Campbell, the School Fruit and Vegetable Snack pilot project delivered British Columbia fruits and vegetables to 10 elementary schools around the province. The program is one of a number of initiatives under ActNow BC, which promotes government’s goal of British Columbians leading North America in healthy living and physical fitness.

“We know that children who are healthy and physically active have the energy to learn better and achieve their best,” said Education Minister Shirley Bond. “Children spend a large part of their day at school, and our schools and Parent Advisory Councils are playing an important role in ensuring that students are eating a proper diet.”

The School Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program is delivered by the B.C. Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation in partnership with the Overwaitea Food Group through its Save-On-Foods, Overwaitea Foods and PriceSmart Foods stores. Under the expansion plan, fruits and veggie snacks will be in classrooms at participating schools for about 18 weeks of each school year.

The Fridges in Schools program, launched last August, is funded through the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands in partnership with the BC Dairy Foundation and BC Agriculture in the Classroom. The $850,000, three-year program could see fridges placed in up to 700 schools.

“The response by schools to the fridge program has been amazing,” Agriculture and Lands Minister Pat Bell said. “Many schools, especially those in more remote areas, are now able to participate in both the elementary school milk program and the fruit and veggie program because they will now have somewhere to keep the products fresh.”

ActNow BC is the provincial government’s health promotion platform to encourage British Columbians to make healthy lifestyle choices through healthy eating, increasing physical activity, eliminating tobacco use and making healthy choices during pregnancy.

For more information on the School Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program, visit www.aitc.ca/bc.

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