August 18, 2014 | Robert Puro

Press Release – IRVING, TX (August 18, 2014) – Tour de Fresh, the first collaborative event to bring together leading fresh produce brands, industry influencers and their bicycles, is ‘gearing up’ their fundraising efforts in support of the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools (LMSBTS) campaign.

“Our goal is to raise $120,000 which would allow us to purchase 40 new salad bars in school districts across the U.S.,” said Brock Nemecek, event organizer and rider. “We believe that healthy eating opportunities should be available to all of our school kids and will directly confront the childhood obesity epidemic. And what better way to support school kids and salad bars than by pedaling our way down the California coast?”

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention there 38+ million children in U.S. schools, of which 17 percent (or 12.5 million) are obese. Childhood obesity among our youth has nearly tripled since 1980.

Obese children have a greater risk of developing social and psychological problems, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which are two risk factors for cardiovascular disease. They also are at jeopardy for developing type 2 diabetes and breathing problems like sleep apnea and asthma.

The Tour de Fresh, starting in Monterey, California on October 13, and ending four days and 275 miles later in Anaheim, aims to bring awareness to the LMSBTS program originally founded by Food Family Farming Foundation, National Fruit and Vegetable Alliance, United Fresh Produce Association Foundation and Whole Foods Market in support of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Initiative.

“We saw partnering with LMSBTS as a great chance for our industry to increase the availability of the fresh fruits and vegetables we are so passionate about,” said Cindy Jewell, director of marketing, California Giant Berry Farms. “The salad bars that we will donate will have an immediate and positive effect on students’ health, but will also establish healthy eating habits that can last a lifetime.”

With two months to go, the riders have pledged to ‘crank their pedals’ to provide children daily access to fresh produce while at school. How can you help? You can give these riders a boost toward achieving their fundraising goals by making a donation: www.tourdefresh.com/ride-info.php.

# # #

About the Sponsors:

Sponsoring companies include: Gold Sponsors – California Giant Berry Farms, iTradeNetwork, Natural Delights, Oneonta Starr Ranch, SUNSET® Produce; Silver Sponsors – Church Brothers Produce, Mission Produce, Tanimura & Antle, Deardorff Family Farms, Paramount Export, Pajaro Valley Fresh, Stellar Energy; Bronze sponsors – Mann Packing, Sutherland Produce, Vision Produce Company, First Fruits, IFCO, HMC Farms, Crunch Pak, DMA Solutions.

About Tour de Fresh:

Tour de Fresh is the first collaborative fresh produce industry event that brings the most significant produce brands and influencers together for a four-day cycling event that raises funds for the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools campaign. The goalof Tour de Fresh and its participants is to raise $120,000 to privately finance 40 new salad bars in school districts across the country.  At a cost of less than $3,000 per salad bar, sponsors and participants alike strongly believe that healthy eating opportunities should be available to all of our students!  For more information about the inaugural event, please visit: www.tourdefresh.com.