WSDA approves $75,000 grant project
PEAR BUREAU NORTHWEST AWARDED 2012 SPECIALTY CROP BLOCK GRANT
Washington State Department of Agriculture Approved $75,000 Grant Project
PORTLAND, Ore. (October 18, 2012) – Pear Bureau Northwest is pleased to announce that the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) has awarded the organization $75,000 in specialty crop grant funding to promote USA Pears in conjunction with the children’s entertainment brand, LazyTown. The project will be tailored to retail partners and schools with live events and co-branded materials.
The grant award will enable Pear Bureau Northwest to engage in an exciting promotion with LazyTown, which motivates children to make healthy lifestyle choices, such as keeping active and eating fruits and vegetables to gain energy. The Pear Bureau has developed custom point of sale materials, including floor signs, channel cards with tear-off recipe pads, and life-size standees for retail promotions. The partnership will come to life with appearances by LazyTown’s main character, Sportacus, at select schools and retailers that excel in promoting pears.
Kevin Moffitt, Pear Bureau Northwest President and CEO said, “We are pleased to receive grant funding for this exciting partnership. This award will help raise the awareness of pears and increase pear sales by generating excitement with children and their parents as we bring the established popularity of LazyTown to life with schools and our retail partners.”
LazyTown, the award-winning television show that motivates kids to make healthier lifestyle choices, is the premier global children’s entertainment brand dedicated to promoting health and well-being. In the U.S., the LazyTown television series airs twice a day on Sprout, a 24-hour preschool television network reaching 55 million homes, as well as in a Saturday morning programming block on NBC that reaches more than 100 million homes, and it airs on Telemundo in Spanish nationwide. Pear Bureau Northwest has completed successful grant projects in partnership with LazyTown in Mexico and Colombia where retail sales of USA Pears increased by 44% during the promotion period.
WSDA received grant funding of $3.3 million from the United States Department of Agriculture this year for projects that support the state’s fruit, vegetable, and horticulture growers. The 2012 Specialty Crop Block Grant will fund 25 projects managed by the department and other Washington organizations to benefit the third largest specialty crop industry in the nation.
About Pear Bureau Northwest
Pear Bureau Northwest is a non-profit marketing organization established in 1931 to promote the fresh USA Pears grown in Washington and Oregon, home to 84% of the US fresh pear crop. The Bureau represents 1,600 growers and develops national and international markets for Northwest pear distribution. For more information, visit www.usapears.org.
About LazyTown
LazyTown is an aspirational children’s entertainment brand dedicated to motivating children to make healthier lifestyle choices. The positive role models of LazyTown lead by example in a fun, non-preachy way to empower and inspire young children. Created and starring Icelander Magnus Scheving, the program has been seen by more than 500 million children and aired in over 170 countries throughout the world. The national television platform airs every day on Sprout TV in the United States and airs every weekend on both NBC Kids and Telemundo (in Spanish). LazyTown is currently collaborating with various government agencies and non-profit organizations worldwide on developing far-reaching and impactful health initiatives such as Change4Life, American Heart Association, Let’s Move, Produce For Kids and Mediterranean Diet. For a preview of LazyTown watch the Move The World trailer at https://vimeo.com/39680615
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Media Contact
Cristie Mather, Director of Communications
(503) 652-9720
cmather@usapears.com
Pear Bureau Northwest prohibits discrimination in all of its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, political beliefs, or disability. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the Pear Bureau at (503) 652-9720.