Palm Beach Schools' "Apple a Day" Program Tastes Even Better The 2nd Time Around -- Unbelievably Healthy Results For 2013!

PALM BEACH, Fla., Nov. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Final results are excellent for the 2^nd annual Apple a Day Program.  The second annual Apple a Day Program is facilitated by The School District of Palm Beach County (the District), in conjunction with Wells Fargo Insurance, United Health Care, Onehealth, Garth Solutions and Brightlife. This year's 4-week Apple a Day program, ran from October 2^nd to October 29^th.Two bonus days were added, October 30^th and 31^st, after overwhelming requests were received to incorporate Halloween into the fun. 

The District hosted the Apple a Day program for the second year in a row as an incentive for District employees to lead healthier lifestyles - proving once again the District's dedication to health and wellness.

District participants, including teachers, staff and administration, were challenged to eat up to two apples per day, take a picture with the apple, and submit those daily photos to earn points.  With participants organized into teams based on their school or department, this year's competition was fun, healthy and spirited!

In addition to eating up to two apples a day, this year featured bonus challenges designed to promote overall wellbeing and healthy lifestyles.  These included:

• Unplug. Turn off the phone, TV, computer and spend and evening after work without technology.
• Eat Breakfast. Be intentional about making time to eat a nutritious breakfast.
• Check your blood pressure. Part of staying well includes knowing your health measurements.
• Avoid candy. Pass out apples on Halloween during Apple a Day Bonus Days.

The results of the 2013 campaign surpassed expectations as well as last year's results:

• Over 3500 people participated this year which is a 57% increase over last year
• Over 220 locations were involved, double the number for last year
• Over 6,750 photos were submitted

Competition was close but two teams edged ahead.  The winning team was Palm Beach Central High School and the Top Participant was Jacques Nicholas hailing from the runner up, Intensive Transition South. This year's event also featured interactive voting for top picture submission.  Over 270,000 votes were recorded.  The winning picture, submitted by Gail Marshal of Palm Beach Central High School, received over 100,000 votes.

"This was a very fun program that offered competition and motivation to practice healthy eating. I loved seeing all the healthy, happy, smiling faces enjoying fruits and veggies!  What's most impressive is how it impacted the total school environment and integrated into the culture and curriculum. Our Wellness Champions did an excellent job creating and promoting Apple a Day events, which cultivated new and inspiring ways to participate in the District's Employee Wellness Program" said Kim Sandmaier, the District's Wellness Coordinator.

To learn more about the district's Apple a Day Program visit http://www.PBApples.org.    

About the School District of Palm Beach County:
The School District of Palm Beach County is the eleventh largest in the nation and the fifth largest in the state of Florida with 185 schools, serving more than 177,000 students who speak 150 languages and dialects. As the largest employer in Palm Beach County, the School District has nearly 21,000 associates, including 12,627 teachers. To learn more about The School District of Palm Beach County, please visit www.palmbeachschools.org

If you'd like additional information about this topic or to schedule an interview with Kimberly Sandmaier, please call Yvonne Garth at 954-547-1920 or email at [email protected]

SOURCE The School District of Palm Beach County