October 30 -- Schools across the country celebrated National School Lunch Week (NSLW) last week in patriotic style as students voted for their favorite school lunch. This year, NSLW received record media coverage, with articles appearing in newspapers and television news shows from Tampa Bay, Fla. to Las Vegas, Nev., with all points in between. Over 13.9 million viewers were reached during the week long campaign. Approximately 335 articles, stories, and interviews covered the celebration as Pete Pizza, Gloria Grilled Cheese, Biff Burger, Petunia Pita Pocket, and Larry Lasagna campaigned in schools across the country.
The “Vote” campaign received national exposure this year with a feature in the October 10th issue of Time for Kids. Time for Kids a publication that is distributed in classrooms nationwide. While much of the issue covered the rising cost of school meals, part of it was dedicated to National School Lunch Week.
Below is a sampling of some of the articles, with quotes from each.
“Pete Pizza is the kids’ choice in school lunch contest,” Windsor Now!, CO – Oct. 24, 2008
“In addition to getting students excited about making healthy choices in the lunchroom, the "Vote" campaign will relay facts on what balanced school meals consist of today.
“’I like this activity because it is fun for the students, and they can voice their opinions about the foods they eat by voting for their favorite meal character,’ Laura Stoneman, director of food and nutrition for the Windsor – Severance Re-4 school district said.
“Kids vote for favorite menu items,” Louisville, Ky. Courier-Journal – Oct. 20, 2008
"’This (Vote for School Lunch) is something that our students have really enjoyed each year,’ said Christine Deely, principal at Klondike Lane Elementary School. ‘I think a lot of them are hearing about the national election and see this as a way for them to be included in an election, too.’”
“Nutrition official promotes healthy choices to students,” The Oklahoman, OK – Oct. 16, 2008
“USDA Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Nancy Montanez Johner came to Oklahoma City to celebrate National School Lunch Week. She said she chose to come to Oklahoma because of the efforts made by state and local school officials to promote the importance of eating well, exercising and living right.
“She conveyed that message to students.
"’Whatever you do, nutrition is the key component to life,’ she said.”
“NISD students vote… for lunch,” Nacogdoches, TX Daily Sentinel – Oct. 16, 2008
“Denise Derby, NISD food service operations supervisor, said students were "extremely excited" to vote for their favorite lunch.
"’Each day, we gave them something different like hats, pencils and book marks so they would feel involved,’ Derby said. ‘We sent notes home with the parents so they would know what to expect this week.’”
“Holy pajama day: Fairview students celebrate nutrition,” Maryville, TN Daily Times – Oct. 21, 2008
“Many students also managed to learn a lot about nutrition during the week. ‘I learned to eat healthy -- not just to eat junk food,’ said second grader Byron Goforth. ‘Fruits and vegetables are healthy, and orange fruits have vitamin C,’ added second grader Sarah Enos.”
“Rapides Schools celebrate National School Lunch Week,” Alexandria, LA Town Talk, - Oct. 14, 2008
“Food and Nutrition Services Supervisor Charlotte Deshautelle explained that in a time when childhood obesity is an increasing concern, school food administrators are more than ever trying to strike a healthy balance between nutrition and children's favorite meals.
"’Our pizza is a whole grain crust pizza, we serve brown rice ... skim milk, fresh vegetables and we have cut back on our sugary items,’ Deshautelle said.”
SNA would like to thank everyone who has participated in the “Vote for School” campaign during the past three years. Since 2006, over 817,000 students have learned about healthy eating and nutrition as they’ve voted for their favorite school lunches. Thank you to all SNA members who have made this campaign a success!