Tops Friendly Markets, Dole Packaged Foods reuniting for school Learning Garden contest

Tops Friendly Markets and Dole Packaged Foods LLC recently launched the sixth annual Learning Garden contest that will grant two elementary schools in either upstate New York, Vermont or Northern Pennsylvania a Captain Planet Foundation Project Learning Garden. The contest began Jan. 2 and runs until Feb. 28.

Tops shoppers can enter their school for a chance to win by visiting topsmarkets.com or https://captainplanetfoundation.org/contest/topsmarkets/ and filling out the contest application. Two schools will win a comprehensive Learning Garden complete with lesson kits filled with supplies, a schoolyard garden, fully equipped garden cooking cart, and strategies for summer garden maintenance.

A press release noted, “The Project Learning Garden program provides a context for multidisciplinary learning, ranging from nutrition and science to social, studies, math and language arts. Students benefit by expanding their palates, taste-testing healthy foods, and learning about food origins.”

Last year’s winning schools were JWS School #16 in Rochester and Midlakes Elementary in Clifton Springs. Other past winning elementary schools have included Hancock Elementary School in Hancock, Harris Hill Elementary School in Williamsville, Boston Valley Elementary School in Hamburg, New Creation Fellowship Academy in Cheektowaga, Nardin Academy in Buffalo, Letchworth Elementary School in Gainseville, Hillel Community Day School in Rochester, and Penn Yan Elementary in Penn Yan.

 “Dole is very excited to be partnering with Tops Friendly Markets again to bring two lucky schools Learning Gardens. It is so important for children to learn about where their food comes from and develop healthy eating habits at an early age,” said Tim Korosec, senior sales director, Dole Packaged Foods.

President/CEO of Captain Planet Foundation Leesa Carter said, “So many subjects can be taught in the garden, and hands-on garden learning is an excellent way to support student understanding of natural systems, food origins and healthy eating. Captain Planet Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that kids are armed with an understanding of the natural world in which they live, and we are thrilled to be partnering again with Tops and Dole Packaged Foods to provide two lucky schools in with Project Learning Garden.”

Tops Friendly Markets Senior Vice President Diane Colgan said, “Tops Friendly Markets is excited to partner with Dole and the Captain Planet Foundation for the sixth year. We are committed to supporting educational excellence, and the hands-on garden and curriculum is an integral part of the conversation when teaching kids learn where their food comes from. We encourage every elementary school to consider entering for their chance at winning this great free resource.”

Dole Packaged Foods LLC, a subsidiary of Dole International Holdings, is a leader in growing, sourcing, distributing and marketing fruit, vegetables and healthy snacks throughout the world. Visit dolesunshine.com or doleintlcsr.com.

Based in Williamsville, Tops Markets currently operates 162 grocery stores in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont, including five that are run by franchisees. It is the largest private, for-profit employer in Western New York, with more than 14,000 associates. For more information, visit www.topsmarkets.com.

Based on the critically acclaimed animated series “Captain Planet and the Planeteers,” CPF was cofounded in 1991 by media mogul Ted Turner and producer Barbara Pyle. Since then, the Captain Planet Foundation has helped to ensure the next generation of business leaders and policy makers are “environmentally literate citizens who leverage technology and information to manage and protect the air, land, and water upon which all life depends.”

CPF is a grant-making foundation that has funded over 2,000 hands-on environmental education projects with schools and nonprofits that serve children in all 50 U.S. states and in 25 countries internationally. More than 1.4 million children have directly participated in and benefited from these educational projects. Visit www.captainplanetfoundation.org.