DOLE WIGGLES® FOR WORDS PROGRAM LAUNCHED TO PROMOTE CHILDREN’S LITERACY AND BETTER EATENNESS
September 7, 2024
To celebrate National Read a Book Day, Dole Packaged Foods, LLCspearDole Wiggles®for words,a national program that encourages healthy childhood development habits, with help from Dole Wiggles®Gels, a delicious and creamy treat made with 100% % fruit juice¹ and no added sugar². As part of this initiative, Dole is joining Scholastic Literacy Partnerships and will donate a children's book³ for every Dole Wiggles®Gels sold atsome retailersofSeptember 6 to October 6.
In a recent study by Scholastic, early literacy is critical for future health, highlighting that access to books has a huge impact on long-term well-being. Thanks to Dole Wiggles®for Words, Dole will fund books for families with a Scholastic-curated collection focused on nutrition and healthy eating habits, strengthening both literacy and overall nutrition education for young people.
While reading and learning this school year, kids can enjoy a great snack accompaniment with Dole Wiggles Gels®made with a ½ cup serving of fruit juice⁴ and an excellent source of vitamin C, in three tasty flavors, strawberry, orange and cherry. Available at select retailers nationwide, families can feel good about choosing Dole Wiggles gels®to make this school year a fun and eventful adventure.
“As a trusted brand for over 120 years, generations of families have chosen Dole for accessible, quality and convenient fruit snacks like our Dole Wiggles gels.®" said Orzse Hodi, president of Dole Packaged FoodsUNITED STATES
. “We are proud to serve more than 66 million students across the country, from pre-K to 12th grade, nourishing and supporting their development at school and at home. Now, as a Scholastic Literacy Partner, we are thrilled to expand our support with books for families in need and fruit-based treats for all.”To raise awareness of the program in local communities, Dole is hitting the road with a mobile “Treat Truck” experience featuring Dole Wiggles gels®. The “Treat Truck” will be fun for the whole family, including a wall of reading commitments, samples of Dole Wiggles gels®and engaging learning activities. Families can visit the Dole Wiggles®Treat Truck at select Walmart and Meijer stores startingSeptember 6thuntilSeptember 22. Visithere
for the full program.“Improving literacy is an important part of young people’s long-term physical and mental health,” saidDwaine Millard
, SVP of Sales and Partnerships at Scholastic. “We are thrilled that Dole has become a member of the Scholastic Literacy Partnership to help support literacy by putting books in the hands of children who need them.”To participate in the Dole Wiggles®for Words fun, buy Dole Wiggles gels®at select retailers nationwide. Parents can also support their children's development by adopting better snacking and reading habits by joining the pledge. VisitDoleSunshine.com
to find out more.
About Dole Packaged Foods, LLCDole Packaged Foods, LLC is a global leader in growing, sourcing, distributing and marketing healthy fruit and snacks across four primary categories: beverages, snacks, frozen and pantry. The company sells a full line of shelf-stable packaged fruit, frozen fruit, dried fruit and juice and is focused on supporting four pillars of sustainability: water stewardship, carbon footprint, soil conservation and waste reduction. For more information, please visitdolesunshine.com
.
About ScholasticFor more information about Scholastic Literacy Partnerships, please visitscholastic.com/literacypartnerships
.
¹ With natural flavors and other ingredients
² Not a low calorie food. See nutrition facts for sugar and calorie content³ Up to10,000 $
in books
⁴ Each container contains 1 serving (1/2 cup) of fruit juice according to USDA nutrition facts
SOURCE Dole Packaged Foods, LLCLearn more (*)