For Immediate Release
September 15, 2009
Contact:
Cass Cannon
Community Relations Specialist
Charlottesville City Schools
434-245-2962
Cass Cannon@ccs.k12.va.us
Media Release
Elementary Students to Snack on Local Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
Three City elementary schools—Clark, Jackson-Via, and Johnson—received the USDA Fresh Fruits and Vegetable Snack Program (FFVP) Grant for the 2009-2010 school year. The FFVP provides fresh fruits and fresh vegetables throughout the school day. Participating schools are required to provide nutrition education as part of the program. In 2008, Greenbrier Elementary School was one of 25 schools in Virginia selected to pilot the FFVP program.
To kick off the new program, the schools will have a number of activities September 14-18 as a part of Healthy Virginians/Healthy Students Week. They will feature healthy tips during morning announcements, enjoy fruit and vegetable snacks during the school day, learn about nutrition, and participate in physical activities.
This year, schools in Charlottesville and Albemarle County will be working with the Local Food Hub to supply local fruits and vegetables as nutritious snacks for students. The Local Food Hub is a non-profit organization that works to make locally grown food more available to communities in Central Virginia.
The first snack of the school year for Clark, Jackson-Via and Johnson elementary school students was watermelon and peaches grown within 30 miles of Charlottesville. The FFVP grant will make it possible for the Local Food Hub to continue delivery of available local produce throughout the school year.
More information about the USDA FFVP is available at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/FFVP/FFVPdefault.htm. To learn more about the Local Food Hub visit http://www.localfoodhub.org.
Mrs. Vegetable & Dr. Fruit, as played by Jackson-Via Elementary Assistant Principal Tracie Daniels and Principal Dr. ElizaBeth McCay, delivered the morning snack to students on September 15, 2009.* * *