Vidalia Growers, Inc. Unites Produce Industry With Innovative Campaign To Benefit Children's Miracle Network

Children's Miracle Network
Monday, 20 May 2002

Kroger, Vidalia Growers, Inc., Del Monte, Fresh Express and Naturally Fresh Salad Dressings team up to help hospitalized children in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina

It has been well-documented that fruits and vegetables provide many health benefits that are good for the body. Now, for the first time, the produce industry is teaming up with Children's Miracle Network to develop a promotional campaign for the produce department that is also good for the soul. It's called "Produce for Kids®" and the concept and campaign were developed by the Vidalia Growers, Inc., a co-op of sweet onion growers in Georgia, to bring the produce industry together to benefit children.

The Kroger Company (Atlanta Division) will be the first retailer to feature the Produce for Kids campaign in all 215 stores located in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina. The campaign is scheduled to launch on June 2 and will run through July 6, 2002. The following co-sponsors will support the campaign: Vidalia Growers, Inc., Del Monte, Fresh Express and Naturally Fresh Salad Dressings.

In addition to covering the cost of the campaign, the co-sponsors will generously make a donation to the Children's Miracle Network for either every unit or box that is shipped into Kroger's Southeast markets. These donations will support the local Children's Miracle Network's hospital in each of these markets.

"We approached Children's Miracle Network last year with this concept because we wanted to create a fundraising program to benefit children, while at the same time provide retailers with an innovative campaign for the entire produce department," stated John Shuman from Vidalia Growers, Inc. "It's a good feeling to have the opportunity to give back to the community, and Produce for Kids gives us that opportunity by supporting Children's Miracle Network."

"Children's Miracle Network is pleased to be participating in the Produce for Kids program," said Clark Sweat, Vice-President Retail Development, Children's Miracle Network. "This provides us the perfect opportunity to help hospitalized children while providing an excellent value to the consumer."

Produce for Kids is a turn-key promotional campaign that includes point-of-sale materials, sample advertisements and graphics provided on a CD Rom, local and national publicity efforts, and a new web site, www.produceforkids.org, to educate consumers on the benefits of the campaign.

"Kroger is known for a corporate culture of giving back to the community and helping children is a key priority for our charitable giving," said Anet Granger, Manager of Consumer Affairs for The Kroger Company, Inc. "In addition, our Atlanta Division is also implementing a store-wide Miracle Balloon campaign for Children's Miracle Network and Produce for Kids fits perfectly since it's all happening at the same time."

About Children's Miracle Network

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, Children's Miracle Network is an international non-profit organization dedicated to generating funds and awareness programs to benefit children treated at 170 children's hospitals throughout the United States and Canada. Children's Miracle Network raises funds through innovative cause-marketing promotions and other programs developed to meet the business objectives of its sponsors. Children's Miracle Network also produces the largest national television fundraiser in North America, broadcast from Walt Disney World the weekend following the U.S. Memorial Day holiday. Children's Miracle Network's hallmark is that 100 percent of locally generated donations stay in the community to benefit kids treated at the local Children's Miracle Network hospital.

For more information, or to contact Children's Miracle Network, see their website at: www.cmn.org