Dobies Health Marketing launches “Apple a Day” – a program for corporate sponsors to choose a school and provide fresh, organic apples and nutrition education to local children, teens and families
April 6, 2017 – KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Dobies Health Marketing and Natural Grocers came together yesterday at Cristo Rey Kansas City to teach nearly 450 local high school students and staff about healthy food choices. The event, which included free apples for everyone in attendance, was part of Cristo Rey’s Health Day, a full day of interactive education related to health, fitness, safety and wellness.
The nutritional presentation took place in the school’s gymnasium. Upon entering the gym, each student and faculty member received an apple and a set of flyers with nutritional information in both English and Spanish. Meghan Meneely, nutritional health coach at Natural Grocers, delivered the presentation, while the team from Dobies Health Marketing and digital partners Group 3 Solutions handed out the flyers and apples.
The occasion marked the inaugural event in Dobies Health Marketing’s newly launched Apple a Day program, which is part of the healthcare marketing firm’s social purpose and Give-Join-Care initiative.
“As a healthcare company, we are driven by one primary goal – inspiring people to make better choices about health,” explains Carol Dobies, CEO and Founder of Dobies Health Marketing. “Our vision for the Apple a Day program is to put an apple in the hands of every child, one small but powerful step toward inspiring a lifetime of health.”
There’s good reason to do just that. Obesity is among the most serious threats to our nation’s children, according to The State of Obesity, a project of the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Nearly one-third (31.3%) of people ages 10-17 are overweight or obese, often due to lack of access to fresh, healthy foods. The link between poor nutrition and chronic health conditions like heart disease and diabetes is well known, and healthy diets are essential for lifelong health.
To educate children, teens and families on the benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables every day to offset the risk of chronic disease and obesity for generations to come, Dobies Health Marketing and Natural Grocers say they are united in their commitment to the three pillars of the Apple a Day program:
- GIVE: an apple to each child in a sponsored school
- JOIN: with schools to host an interactive, age-appropriate educational session with a highly trained nutritional health coach on the benefits of healthy eating
- CARE: for kids and their families by providing each child with a healthy eating guide to take home and share with their families
“Knowledge is power, and we are thrilled to put our time, talent and resources into a program that delivers the tools people need to get the healthiest start in life, and to stay healthy for a lifetime,” says Julie Amor, Chief Strategy Officer at Dobies Health Marketing, adding that the Apple a Day program is designed to make it easy for other healthcare companies to sponsor schools in the same way for their own corporate social engagement initiatives. “It means so much to us to give back to our community in ways that foster better health and wellness, and we are so thankful to our partners at Natural Grocers and the administrative staff at Cristo Rey for joining us in bringing this program to life.”
View more photos from the event on Facebook. Companies interested in sponsoring a school through the Apple a Day program can contact Dobies Health Marketing online or by calling at 816.753.3336 for more information.
About Dobies Health Marketing
Since 1992, Dobies Health Marketing has offered highly specialized expertise in healthcare marketing strategy, branding and creative communications. Our Kansas City-based company serves the marketing and branding needs of the entire healthcare industry, from hospitals, health systems and payers to medical device manufacturers, associations and certifying boards. Together, we combine strategic marketing with creative communications to create healthier brands.
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Media Contact:
Sam Carlson
Dobies Health Marketing
scarlson@dobies.com
816.595.6731