A Healthy New Way For Schools To Raise Funds

Press Release 14 August 2007

A Healthy And Tasty New Way For Schools To Raise Funds

Innovative School Fundraising Initiative Launched by Natures Foods

Schools and parents struggling to find a healthy alternative for fundraising have just been offered a lifeline with two entrepreneurial Kiwi mums developing grazers, snack packs of delicious sun dried fruit ideal for school fundraising.

The new grazers products contain the highest quality sun dried fruit, selected for their appealing taste profile, and carry the Heart Foundation Tick. Each individually wrapped snack pack is the equivalent of one serving of fresh fruit, providing an easy way to help ensure a daily serving of fruit.

As part of the government initiative, Mission On, changes announced in June to the National Administration Guidelines mean that from 1 July 2008, school
Fundraising with unhealthy food options such as chocolate bars, cookies, pizzas, cake stalls and sausage sizzles will be limited to four times a year, an amendment that has left many principals and preschool organisations on the lookout for healthy alternatives. School canteens will be encouraged to sell a wide range of healthy foods, and cut right back on food and drink with high fat, sugar and salt content.

Natures Foods founders, sister in-laws Lisa and Debbie Beuvink, believe they’ve found an ideal solution – a product that is healthy, tasty and from which schools can earn those much needed extra funds.

Lisa and Debbie are both mums who have been involved in school and kindy fundraising enough times to be heartily sick of the perennial box of chocolate bars left over in their pantries.

“We thought there has got to be an alternative fundraising product that is healthy, and can still ensure schools make a good profit. The idea of something that you could actually put in your child’s lunchbox, seemed so much more logical”, said Lisa.

“Then our next challenge was ensuring it was a snack that tasted great and was nutritious so after various ‘Kids taste tests’ we found the most popular item was our sun dried fruit - and created grazers,” said co-founder Debbie.

In line with their drive to provide a fundraising product that is tasty and healthy , Natures Foods has enlisted the support of top NZ rugby player, Keven Mealamu.

Keven will be launching Natures Foods at an official launch event being held in South Auckland in August to support the grazers product.

“I think that Natures Foods are doing a great thing by getting more healthy options into the schools and in front of our kids. And even better, Grazers sun dried fruit snack packs taste great,” said Keven.

grazers come in tasty nectarine, pear or apricot. They are sold in boxes of 36 for $36 providing a profit of $13 per box for schools.

For further information and to place orders visit www.naturesfoods.co.nz or email orders@naturesfoods.co.nz.

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