Buy fruits and vegetables to help schools

Posted Sep 26, 2011 by Sherri Ackerman

Updated Oct 11, 2011 at 12:09 PM

A lot of corporate chains are pitching in during this struggling economy to help schools fill the gaps.

One is our local Publix.

The Lakeland-based grocery is launching a new campaign with Produce for Kids to raise money for salad bars in the lunchroom.

Some Hillsborough schools already have salad bars in their cafeterias. Others participate in a federal program that brings fresh vegetables and fruits into the classroom.

This public initiative is called Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools, an idea to help students eat more fruits and vegetables.

It goes hand in hand with First Lady Michele Obama’s Let’s Move campaign to help end childhood obesity.

From now until Oct. 26, shoppers can help their local schools by visiting the produce section and buying select items. In return, a donation will be made to Let’s Move Salad Bars.

Items include Select One tomatoes, Buddy Fruits, Crunch Pak sliced apples, Del Monte Fruit Naturals, mini seedless cucumbers and organic green beans and Marie’s salad dressings.

Shoppers also can win gift cards for themselves.

And teachers can win up to $1,000 for their classrooms by participating in the Play With Your Produce challenge which encourages kids to fill half their plates with fruits and vegetables based on the new USDA MyPlate guidelines.

To learn more about getting a salad bar in your school, go to saladbars2schools.org

And this week, Target will distribute 28,000 books to students at 15 elementary schools in Tampa, Miami and Orlando.

Each school also receives a $1,500 book grant to buy more books for the library and every student will receive three books to take home in a Target book back.

In Tampa, the two schools will get the donation on Tuesday, Sept. 27.

Tampa Bay Elementary at 3111 W. Tampa Bay Blvd. will receive the donation at 8 a.m., followed by Alexander Elementary at 5602 N. Lois Avenue at 10:30 a.m.