Go Organically Fruit Snacks has selected Woodbine Elementary School in Sacramento, California, as the recipient of a $5,000 donation from the Go Organically Gives Back Literacy Program, a national initiative led by the organic fruit snack brand in partnership with First Book, to encourage children’s literacy. In addition to the donation made to the school, 50 schools across the country received funding to support literacy education.
With many of Woodbine Elementary School’s funds being allocated toward lunch subsidies for students, educators at the school requested additional financial support to invest in educational programming. The school will use the donation for a “Backpack Reading Program” where each classroom will receive books for use at home and in school to promote literacy and education throughout the year.
The program started on National Book Lovers Day (Aug. 9) in partnership with First Book, a nonprofit, social enterprise focused on equal access to quality education for kids in need. Consumers had the opportunity to vote for one of the five finalist schools to receive the $5,000 donation. In addition to Woodbine, the finalists included:
- Higginson-Lewis K-8 School in Boston, Massachusetts
- Gordon J. Lau Elementary School in San Francisco, California
- Math and Science Leadership Academy in Denver, Colorado
- William Walker Elementary in Portland, Oregon
Finalists were chosen by Go Organically Fruit Snacks and First Book based on current needs and identification of where the biggest impact could be made in local scholastic communities. When choosing a charitable partner for the program, the company looked for an organization that shared its brand values of supporting children’s success and education and says it found a perfect fit in First Book. This is the first year the two organizations have teamed up and the partnership has proven to be a great success, says Go Organically.
“We’re excited to provide local schools with the supplies they need for the upcoming school year through our Go Organically Gives Back Literacy Program,” shared Josh Shapiro, senior VP of marketing for The Promotion In Motion Cos. Inc. “We’re extremely grateful for our partnership with First Book as they have provided us the opportunity to reach more schools, students and teachers than we could have imagined. We believe this is just the start for Go Organically in giving back to local communities.”
“First Book is committed to making sure that all kids, no matter where they go to school, have access to the best books and educational resources available,” said Georgia Gillette, VP for strategic alliances at the organization. “We are so grateful to Go Organically for this partnership and the opportunity to distribute books and resources where they are needed most and to get kids excited about reading and learning.”
Consumers who voted had the chance to win a variety of prizes (e-reader, beanbag chair, Go Organically Fruit Snacks and more). Additionally, 50 votes, chosen at random, unlocked 50 “Book Wishes” from schools across the nation. Book Wish is a program within First Book that allows educators and community members to post various wishes that they need for their classroom (supplies, backpacks, books, etc.). Go Organically granted $100 to each of these schools who received a book wish.
Farmer’s Choice Food Brands, maker of Go Organically Fruit Snacks, is a label of The Promotion In Motion Cos., a maker of fruit snacks and other snacks and the maker of Welch’s Fruit Snacks.
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