Calling All Chefs: Vitamix Will Donate Blenders To First 50 Chefs Who Sign Up To Host Childhood Nutrition Day Events

Manufacturer of High-Performance Blending Equipment Partners with American Culinary Federation's Chef & Child Foundation Program to Fight Childhood Obesity

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Vitamix

Sep 20, 2013, 08:15 ET

CLEVELAND, Sept. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Childhood Nutrition Day is October 16, but the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation's Chef & Child Foundation is encouraging chefs to hold awareness events across the country throughout the entire month of October to help kids and families improve their health through proper nutrition. To inspire even more chefs to participate, Vitamix has pledged to donate personal household blenders to the first 50 chefs who register and follow through on their commitments to host events. Chefs can use the Vitamix machines in their activities, which could range from cooking classes to demonstrations to hands-on smoothie making.

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"Some kids may think you have to choose between food that's good for you and food that tastes great, but actually it's just the opposite—food that's good for you can taste fantastic," said Jodi Berg, president and CEO of Vitamix. "Put some fruit in a Vitamix, toss in some spinach and kale, and you've got a green smoothie packed with nutrients that tastes absolutely amazing. I've seen kids go from saying they hate vegetables to actually craving them!"

Berg is the great granddaughter of the founder of Vitamix, a 92-year-old, fourth-generation, family-owned company headquartered in Greater Cleveland. Vitamix began promoting the benefits of whole food nutrition as far back as the 1930s and engineered its blenders specifically to have the power and versatility to turn whole fruits and vegetables into delicious dishes with a silky smooth consistency.

The Chef & Child Foundation was founded in 1989 to promote awareness of proper nutrition in preschool and elementary school children and to combat childhood obesity.

"Many of our chefs are passionate about helping children learn how to please their palates and nourish their bodies at the same time, and the chance to own a Vitamix machine gives them one more great reason to get involved," said Ira Fingerman, chair, Chef & Child Foundation.

Chefs can register to host events on the American Culinary Federation web site. The first 50 chefs to sign up and who subsequently host events will receive a machine from the Vitamix Certified Reconditioned Standard series, backed by Vitamix's five-year full warranty with industry leading coverage.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the percentage of obese 6- to 11-year-olds in the U.S. increased from 7 percent in 1980 to nearly 18 percent in 2010, and the percentage of obese 12- to 19-year-olds increased by a similar amount. Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol and obesity is also associated with increased risk for many types of cancer.

About Vitamix^®Vita-Mix^®Corporation ("Vitamix") is a privately held family-owned and -operated company founded in 1921 that manufactures high-performance blending equipment for home and commercial use. The company's commercial customer list reads like a "Who's Who" of major restaurant chains, and gourmet chefs say their Vitamix machines are as important to them as their knives. A recognized leader in marketing and product innovation, Vitamix founder William G. "Papa" Barnard created the first infomercial in 1949 to demonstrate how the Vitamix blender could help people improve their health with whole foods, and the company developed the first true commercial blender in the early 1990s, which ignited the smoothie movement. Vitamix, whose products are known worldwide for their performance, durability, and reliability, continues to win awards for product innovation and is a recipient of the president's prestigious "E" Award for Exports. Headquartered in Olmsted Township, Ohio, 19 miles from Cleveland, Vitamix products are manufactured in Northeast Ohio and sold in 100 countries. For more information, please visit www.vitamix.com.

About Chef & Child Foundation
The purpose of the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation's Chef & Child Foundation is to foster, promote and encourage awareness of proper nutrition in preschool and elementary-school children, as well as combat childhood obesity. The foundation funds programs that provide instruction on nutrition and proper eating habits to children. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org/CCF.

About Childhood Nutrition Day
Childhood Nutrition Day, celebrated on, or around Oct. 16, focuses on the need for education about childhood hunger, proper nutrition and obesity issues. Since the campaign's launch in 1995, hundreds of chefs across the nation have participated in events within their local communities to feed hungry children, and foster and promote awareness of proper nutrition.

SOURCE Vitamix