McDonald's® Tri-State Owners Announce Recipients Of Second Annual Nutrition Program Grants

ISELIN, N.J., Aug. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- McDonald's New York Tri-State area restaurants today announced the grant recipients of its second annual New York Metro Nutrition Network program.

Launched in March 2012, the Nutrition Network is a community outreach initiative designed to provide funds to local organizations to build or enhance existing grassroots nutrition programs and to collaborate with communities in advancing nutrition education. The seed funding will help five selected organizations, along with an additional sixth, sponsored by Dasani®, to bring nutrition information and guidance to their respective communities.

This year's recipients were evaluated based on a number of factors, including program reach, sustainability, uniqueness and financial need. Organizations were selected by a judging committee comprised of nutrition and nonprofit experts, McDonald's Owner/Operators and corporate representatives. The organizations are:

• Dance Theatre of Harlem, Inc. (Harlem, New York); is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to social change and artistic excellence in its three mission areas: training, performance and arts education.  This grant will further "The Health Dancers/Healthy Families Initiative," focused on promoting healthy lifestyles, educating minorities about wellness and building community vitality.

• Bowen Memorial Community Outreach Food Planting Program (Mount Vernon, New York); a private, non-profit organization created to provide fresh and organic food needs at no cost to those individuals and families in the Westchester County and greater New York area who find themselves economically distressed. The grant will be used to provide additional funds to purchase more fresh and organic produce for low-income families throughout Westchester and New York City.

• YMCA of Long Island, Inc. (Glen Cove, New York); a charitable, non-profit community-based service organization, dedicated to improving the quality of life for children, adults, and families through programs that encourage youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility across Long Island. The grant will be used to develop "Healthier Tomorrows," a family-focused, pediatric weight management program designed to address the alarming increase in youth obesity.

• Boys & Girls Club of Clifton, Inc. (Clifton, New Jersey); dedicated to providing programs and services in a safe, supervised environment to inspire and enable all young people to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. The grant will be used to develop the "Brain Gain Initiative," a new program for children that incorporates critical thinking during the summer months.

• Community Medical Center (Toms River, New Jersey); offers a comprehensive array of wellness and medical services including world-class cancer, diabetes, emergency, and cardiac care. The Community Medical Center also maintains an award-winning Center of Excellence for women, children, and seniors offering support groups as well as fitness and wellness programs to enhance the overall health of every member of the community. The grant will be used to develop "The Whimsical Foodtastic Fun Tour – Children's Nutritional School Assembly" which will help children build a solid foundation and learn early in life about healthy eating habits and the benefits of exercise.

• Friends of Ryan Park (Norwalk, Connecticut); Three years ago, Friends of Ryan Park saved the only open space in an overcrowded, poor, inner city area of Norwalk from being given away to a developer. Since then, Ryan Park has been a free city park opened to the public for events and leisurely activities. The grant will be used to team up with SAVE (Serving All Vessels Equally) a mentoring program which identifies teens at risk. These teens will spend the summer at the park learning how to be entrepreneurs. In addition, they will also plan a month long day camp for remedial work (reading, math, and science using the gardens).

"With the overwhelming success we saw during the initial launch of the New York Metro Nutrition Network, we decided to collaborate with Dasani^® water to provide an additional grant in order to extend the program's reach this year," said Anthony Scari, president of the McDonald's New York Tri-State Owner/Operators Association. "Communities are now taking a more proactive role in providing nutrition education to their residents and it's this type of awareness that McDonald's is proud to support."

Each of the six organizations selected will be acknowledged with a presentation in their community in the upcoming weeks. Programs must be completed by December 31, 2013.

ABOUT McDONALD'S NEW YORK TRI-STATE RESTAURANTS:
McDonald's is one of the world's best-known brands and is a global leader in food service. There are more than 600 McDonald's restaurants, owned by over 100 franchisees, located throughout the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut Tri-State area.  Visit www.mcdonaldsnytristate.com or follow us on Twitter @McDNYTriState for information about other McDonald's area programs.

SOURCE McDonald's New York Tri-State Restaurants