GENYOUth is joined by NFL Legends Rashad Jennings and Morlon Greenwood, as well as Frito-Lay, Quaker, PepsiCo Foundation, USDA, and Additional Partners, to Culminate a Statewide Initiative that is Increasing Access for 40,000 Students to Almost 11 Million School Meals
LAS VEGAS (February 8, 2024) – GENYOUth, the national non-profit organization founded by America’s dairy farmers and the NFL to help ensure students are well nourished and active to be their best selves, announced today the completion of its Super School Meals Super Bowl LVIII community initiative. Over the past five months, in collaboration with partners including Clark County School District, Las Vegas Super Bowl LVIII Host Committee, and Dairy Council of Nevada; and with the support of purpose-minded corporate sponsors Frito-Lay North America, The Quaker Oats Company, the PepsiCo Foundation, and The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation in partnership with Smith’s, GENYOUth has provided grants for Grab and Go school nutrition equipment packages, including mobile meal carts and milk coolers, to over 58 high-need Nevada schools to increase access to and participation in healthy school meals.
At West Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas this morning, 150 students joined NFL Legends Rashad Jennings and Morlon Greenwood, along with Clark County School District (CCSD) officials and community leaders including West Prep Principal Yolanda Brown, to celebrate Super School Meals and the critical strides it is making in tackling food insecurity among Nevada youth and leaving a positive legacy of community impact in the 2024 Super Bowl’s host market. This includes increasing access for 40,000 students to almost 11 million school meals.
The commitment of GENYOUth to help end student hunger will continue on Saturday, February 10, with Taste of the NFL presented by Frito Lay, Quaker and PepsiCo Foundation, at the Keep Memory Alive event center in Las Vegas. (TasteoftheNFL.com). Net proceeds from Super Bowl LVIII’s largest philanthropic culinary event will benefit schools in Nevada and throughout the nation.
“One in 5 children¹ in Nevada is food insecure, and over 30 million students nationwide rely on school meals for a significant portion of their daily nutrition. Often, school meals may be the only healthy nutrition a student receives on some days. Grab and Go meal equipment is critical to increasing meal access and participation,” said Ann Marie Krautheim, M.A., R.D., L.D., CEO of GENYOUth. “Super School Meals is fostering nutrition security in high-need Nevada areas of Clark, Nye, Lyon, Washoe, and White Pine counties. I am grateful to our committed partners for stepping up to help tackle youth food insecurity in Nevada.”
“Alternative models that provide school meals like Grab and Go equipment are proven and effective solutions to increasing school meal access and participation. I am here today at West Prep Academy to celebrate Super School Meals, thank GENYOUth and its purpose-driven partners for prioritizing nutrition security for students, and honor the Clark County School District for the important work they do every day to ensure all students are well-nourished and set up for success,” said Cindy Long, Administrator, USDA FNS.
“School meals are important for the students of the Clark County School District as we work to ensure that all children have the opportunity to thrive. With our district representing 60% of all public-school students in Nevada, and with three of out of four qualifying for free and reduced-price meals, we thank GENYOUth, the Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee, and Super School Meal partners for providing critical support in feeding Nevada kids,” said Clark County School District Engagement Unit Dr. Brad Keating.
“Frito-Lay, Quaker and the PepsiCo Foundation are proud to support GENYOUth in providing equipment to directly and positively impact students and help alleviate food insecurity in Nevada,” said C.D. Glin, President, PepsiCo Foundation, and Global Head of Philanthropy, PepsiCo. “Our support of the Super School Meals and Taste of the NFL initiatives reflects our commitment to ensuring Nevada’s next generation of leaders has the critical support they need to grow and thrive.”
“Through the Super School Meals initiative, we are proud of the role that The Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation and Smith’s is playing to provide Nevada students with access to healthy food, including milk, fruit, whole grain, and lean protein. It is our goal that together we can create communities free of hunger and waste,” said Tina Murray, Division Corporate Affairs Manager, Smith’s Food and Drug.
“The Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee is proud to be a supporter of Super School Meals, and with Super Bowl LVIII just a few days away, we thank GENYOUth and all partners and supporters who are prioritizing the health and well-being of students today and every day,” said Sam Joffray, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee.
“Dairy farmers in Nevada and throughout the nation are committed year-round to the health and well-being of our nation’s children. We are proud to be partnering with GENYOUth and other partners on Super School Meals to ensure school meal participation and to provide equitable access to nutritious dairy products,” said Tammy Baker, General Manager, Dairy Council of Nevada.
“Seeing the benefits that Super School Meals is bringing to schools like West Prep today is very important. As a former professional football player, I understand the crucial role school nutrition plays in the lives of students. We must all do our part to ensure students have access to school meal and physical activity programs,” said Morlon Greenwood, former NFL Linebacker and president of the NFL Alumni Las Vegas chapter.
For more information on Super School Meals and to purchase tickets to Taste of the NFL, visit GENOUthNow.org and TasteoftheNFL.com. To help GENYOUth End Student Hunger, visit GENYOUthNow.org/donate/.
¹ Feeding America
About GENYOUth
GENYOUth is a 501c3 national nonprofit dedicated to helping school children thrive by living a well-nourished and physically active life. A catalyst for youth health and wellness, GENYOUth has supported over 77,000 U.S. schools to equip them with the resources needed to ensure millions of children have equitable access to nutrition and physical activity. Founded by America’s dairy farmers and the NFL, GENYOUth convenes a network of private and public partners, including Fortune 100 companies and foundations to ensure all children are nourished and active to be their best selves. With a commitment to end student hunger, GENYOUth provides nutrition grants to increase access to healthy school meals among food insecure students. GENYOUth is the official charitable partner of Taste of the NFL, a purpose-driven Super Bowl culinary experience that raises awareness and generates funds to fight hunger and food insecurity to support the organization’s commitment to end student hunger. To learn more and support GENYOUth visit www.GENYOUthnow.org and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About USDA Food and Nutrition Service
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service works to end hunger and improve food and nutrition security through a suite of 16 nutrition assistance programs, such as the school breakfast and lunch programs, WIC and SNAP. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4 Americans over the course of a year, promoting consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. FNS’s report, “Leveraging the White House Conference to Promote and Elevate Nutrition Security: The Role of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service,” highlights ways the agency will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy, released in conjunction with the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022. To learn more about FNS, visit www.fns.usda.gov and follow @USDANutrition.
About Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee
The Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee is a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization whose mission is to provide a premier Super Bowl LVIII Experience in 2024. Serving as the liaison between the National Football League and the City of Las Vegas, Clark County, and State of Nevada, the Las Vegas Super Bowl LVIII Host Committee unites local and national stakeholders to maximize opportunities surrounding the Super Bowl to drive lasting social, cultural, and economic impact across the region. For more information, visit www.lvsuperbowlhc.com and follow @lvsuperbowlhc on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and LinkedIn.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $79 billion in net revenue in 2021, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive (pep+). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com
About Frito-Lay North America
Frito-Lay North America, Inc. is the $23 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Frito-Lay snacks include Lay’s® and Ruffles® potato chips, Doritos® and Tostitos® tortilla chips and branded dips, Cheetos® snacks, Stacy’s® pita chips, PopCorners® popped-corn snack, SunChips® multigrain snacks and Fritos® corn chips. The company operates 30+ manufacturing facilities across the U.S. and Canada, more than 200 distribution centers and services 315,000 retail customers per week through its direct-store-delivery model. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, www.fritolay.com, on Twitter (@fritolay), on Instagram (@fritolay) and on Facebook (Frito-Lay).
About the PepsiCo Foundation
The PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, invests in the essential elements of a sustainable food system with a mission to support thriving communities. Working with non-profits and experts around the globe, we’re focused on helping communities obtain access to food security, safe water and economic opportunity. We strive for tangible impact in the places where we live and work—collaborating with industry peers, local and international organizations, and our employees to affect large-scale change on the issues that matter to us and are of global importance. Learn more at www.pepsicofoundation.com.
About Quaker
The Quaker Oats Company, headquartered in Chicago, is a unit of PepsiCo, Inc., one of the world’s largest consumer packaged goods companies. For more than 140 years, Quaker’s brands have served as symbols of quality, great taste and nutrition. Quaker® Oats, Quaker® Rice Cakes and Quaker Chewy® Granola Bars are consumer favorites. For more information, please visit www.QuakerOats.com, www.Facebook.com/Quaker, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram @Quaker.
About The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation In Partnership With Smith’s
The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2018. Through the end of 2022, the organization directed more than $59 million to organizations, innovators and changemakers across the U.S. who are working to end hunger and waste in their communities. It encourages organizations and founders to work together, catalyze innovation and create a food system that will serve America into the future.
About Dairy Council of Nevada
The Dairy Council of Nevada is a non-profit organization comprised of a team of dedicated professionals devoted to the promotion of agriculture, lifelong health and the enjoyment of food. We work on behalf of Nevada’s Dairy Farm Families to provide timely, scientifically based nutrition information to the media, health professionals, consumers, and others concerned about fostering a healthy diet in addition to promoting fun, community-based events to showcase dairy foods and dairy farmers.
About Clark County School District
Established in 1956, the Clark County School District (CCSD) is the number one choice for families and students. As the nation’s fifth largest school district, we educated 305,000 students – offering a variety of nationally recognized programs, including Magnet Schools, Career and Technical Academies, and Advanced Placement programs. CCSD educates 64 percent of all students in Nevada and works closely with community partners and business leaders to educate students to compete in a global economy.
Contact:
Eric Slutsky, GENYOUth, eric.slutsky@genyouthnow.org, 917-391-6709
Melinda Malone, Clark County School District, malonmd@nv.ccsd.net
Samantha Grimes, Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee, samantha@lvsuperbowlhc.com