School Field Day on Friday, Sept. 13, at Tséhootsooí Primary Learning Center in Fort Defiance, Will Kick Off the Donation of 12 School Meal Carts from Bashas’ Supermarkets, Chelan Fresh, and GENYOUth
ARIZONA and NEW MEXICO (Sept. 11, 2024) – Students in tribal communities across two states will kick off the new school year with increased access to healthier school meals, fresh fruit, and healthy snacks, thanks to Bashas’, Joyfully Grown by Chelan Fresh, and GENYOUth, a national nonprofit dedicated to providing students with greater access to nutrition and physical activity. Together, they are donating a dozen Grab and Go meal carts to elementary schools in the four tribal communities that Bashas’ supermarkets serve. The carts will allow the schools to deliver an expanded assortment of nutritious foods, including produce and dairy products, to students.
Students at one Navajo elementary school will play an active role in launching the program during a School Field Day this Friday, Sept. 13, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Tséhootsooí Primary Learning Center (located north of Window Rock, on Navajo Route 12, in Fort Defiance, Ariz.). The School Field Day is designed to explore healthy habits and encourage children with hands-on activities.
“Our history of teaming up with tribal communities in Arizona and New Mexico can be traced back to the origins of our company, when our first customers were Indigenous People,” said Steve Mayer, President of Bashas’ Family of Stores, who will be on-site to help celebrate the program kickoff. “We’re especially thrilled about this partnership because not only will the Grab and Go carts help increase access to nutritious foods, but they’ll also support a foundation for talking about and prioritizing healthy habits.”
“One in five children in the U.S. lives in food insecurity, and in Indigenous, Black and Hispanic communities, the numbers are even higher. With a recent GENYOUth national survey finding that child food insecurity needs to be a national priority, the place to start is in school, where nearly 30 million U.S. students rely on school meals for a significant portion of their daily nutrition,” said Ann Marie Krautheim, CEO of GENYOUth. “We are proud to partner with Bashas’ supermarkets and Chelan Fresh to help end student hunger in tribal communities in New Mexico and Arizona.”
During the School Field Day on Sept. 13, students in pre-K through third grade will rotate through a series of stations to gather stamps to complete their “passport to health.” One of the stations will feature a drill from NFL FLAG-In-School, a GENYOUth-run program reflecting the organization’s mission of ensuring all children are physically active and well-nourished to live their best lives. Other activities include an art station, where students will create their own MyPlate meal, identifying all of the necessary components of a well-balanced meal. Kids will also play fruit and veggie bingo and have the opportunity to stay active with a lively game of football hot potato. As a takeaway, students will create artwork depicting what it means for them to be active and healthy, to later display in their local Bashas’ Diné Market in Window Rock. After successfully completing activities at each station, students will receive a fruit-themed sticker.
As a nod to National Football League fundraising for the Big Game in Arizona in 2023, which inspired GENYOUth’s participation, one of the stations will be a flag football course. Other activities include an art station where students will create artwork depicting healthy messages for display in their local Bashas’ Diné Market in Window Rock, a Tic Tac Toe game with fruits and veggies; “Mr. Potato Head”-inspired pear decorating; fruit and veggie bingo; and an orchard-themed obstacle course.
Ultimately, a Grab and Go meal cart and produce will be donated to nine different elementary schools near the nine Bashas’ Diné Markets on the Navajo Nation – in Chinle, Crownpoint, Dilkon, Kayenta, Pinon, Sanders, Shiprock, Tuba City, and Window Rock.
Additional carts and produce will also be donated to three different elementary schools representing each of the other three Arizona tribal communities where Bashas’ supermarkets are located, including the White Mountain Apache Nation in Whiteriver; the San Carlos Apache Nation in Peridot; and the Tohono O’odham Nation in Sells.
“The opportunity to take our Joyfully Grown brand and partner with Bashas’ to deliver 12 Grab and Go carts and fresh, delicious fruit and healthy snacks to kids and schools across these tribal nations is an honor and a privilege,” said Apolinar Blanco, Sustainability & Social Responsibility Manager for Joyfully Grown by Chelan Fresh. “We are so grateful for the GENYOUth and Bashas’ teams who helped make this happen.”
About Bashas’ Family of Stores
Bashas’ Family of Stores is a division of The Raley’s Companies. The grocer operates in Arizona, New Mexico, and four Tribal Nations under five well-known brands including Bashas’, Food City, AJ’s Fine Foods, Eddie’s Country Store, and Bashas’ Diné supermarkets. Founded in 1932, the grocer has a rich history of serving families with quality products and great customer service. With more than 100 supermarkets in Arizona, Bashas’ is one of the largest employers in the state and one of the Best Places to Work. Bashas’ has given back more than $100 million to the communities it serves. For more information, visit bashas.com.
About Joyfully Grown by Chelan Fresh
Joyfully Grown™ is a fruit marketing company representing multi-generational family growers who annually ship more than 20 million boxes of premium apples, pears, cherries and several stone fruit varieties, including the Joyfully Grown™ brand as well as the SugarBee® and Rockit™ apple varieties, for demanding domestic and international markets. Their fruit is grown primarily in North Central Washington, where ample sunshine, gentle mountain slopes, fertile valleys, and cool crisp air combine with the waters of the mighty Columbia River for ideal growing conditions. For more information, visit chelanfresh.com/joyfullygrown/.
About GENYOUth
GENYOUth is a 501c3 national nonprofit dedicated to helping school children thrive by living well-nourished and physically active lives. A catalyst for youth health and wellness, GENYOUth has supported more than 77,000 U.S. schools, equipping them with the resources needed to ensure millions of children have equitable access to nutrition and physical activity. Founded by America’s dairy farmers and the NFL, GENYOUth convenes a network of private and public partners, including Fortune 100 companies and foundations, to ensure all children are nourished and active to be their best selves. With a commitment to end student hunger, GENYOUth provides nutrition grants to increase access to healthy school meals among food-insecure students. GENYOUth is the official charitable partner of Taste of the NFL, a purpose-driven Super Bowl culinary experience that raises awareness and generates funds to fight hunger and food insecurity to support the organization’s commitment to end student hunger. To learn more and support GENYOUth, visit GENYOUthnow.org and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Click the links below for the images accompanying this press release:
Joyfully Grown™ logo
Basha’s Logo
GENYOUth Logo
Grab and Go Meal Cart
School Field Day Apple Stickers Activity
Alisha Jeffries and Julie DeJarnatt from Joyfully Grown
For more information contact:
Julie DeJarnatt
julied@chelanfresh.com
Kristy Jozwiak
kristyj@dualitypr.com or (602) 741-5161 (mobile)
