Submitted photos and press release:
Bergen -- Byron-Bergen Elementary School received some very special guests on Nov. 1. Representatives from the American Heart Association and Bonduelle USA kicked off Eat Smart Month by visiting every classroom and delivering vegetable seeds and a message about the importance of eating and living healthily.
Marc Natale and Robin Swan from the American Heart Association were joined by Janette Bonstead, Diane Cholowsky, Kortney Connell, April Fox, Michelle Hoffman, and Beth Scroger from Bonduelle USA to greet the elementary students as they entered the school. Each child went home with vegetable seeds and an informational brochure about eating healthy including a recipe for Simple Chicken Pot Pie.
“It’s important for us to be involved in the community,” said one of the Bonduelle participants. “We are located right here and it’s exciting to share information on healthy eating with our families and neighbors.”
As the guests visited classrooms, students became very excited to grow their own vegetables to eat.
“We want to inspire families and kids to talk about what it means to eat healthy, offer healthy meal options and seeds to start their own garden,” said Lorri Harkins, IT Service desk manager, Bonduelle Americas Long Life.
The message of eating healthy was reinforced in the lunchroom where Friday’s lunches included a special side dish.
“We are serving peas and carrots in the cafeteria today,” said Byron-Bergen Food Service Director Mary Della Penna. “This is a very nice community outreach project and we’re happy to participate.”
Byron-Bergen was one of three districts chosen for a November visit. Bonduelle provided more than 1,500 seed packets of peas and carrots for distribution
during the first week of November to Byron-Bergen, and two Rochester elementary schools -- Fyle and Lakeshore.
