Dole Food Company Sponsors Healthyville' Traveling Exhibit for Children's Museums

Stepping Stones Museum for Children, Norwalk,Conn.,is pleased to announce that Dole Food Company and the Dole Nutrition Institute, Westlake Village, Calif.,are the proud sponsors of the museum's Healthyville traveling exhibit. The exhibit is currently at the Long Island Children's Museum in Garden City, New York.

"All of us at Dole are so happy to know we helped make Healthyville possible - it truly is a meaningful, valuable, and FUN resource for children and families," said Jenn LaVardera, MS RD, Nutrition and Health Communications Manager, Dole Food Company, Inc., Dole Nutrition Institute. "We proudly support this effort to educate children on the benefits of a healthy diet and to encourage everyone to add more fruits and vegetables to their plates."

In celebrating the new relationship with Dole, Stepping Stones Director of Development Kishshana Palmer, CFRE, said, "The Stepping Stones team is thrilled with Dole's sponsorship commitment. Dole's core values of health and nutrition education for children and families are completely aligned with the museum's Healthy Children, Healthy Communities initiative. Together, we know we can gain even greater exposure for this important message, most recently embraced by Americans through social media with First Lady Michelle Obama's outstanding #GimmeFive campaign!

"We are all looking forward to hearing the same excitement from visitors today at the Long Island Children's Museum (LICM). After its tour at LICM, the Healthyville experience travels to the Boston Children's Museum in June, then to the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito, CA and in January 2016 to the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose," added Palmer.

About Healthyville

The creation of the Healthyville traveling exhibit by Stepping Stones Museum for Children is a vital component of the museum's Healthy Children, Healthy Communities initiative. This initiative, which has been well received by museum visitors, grew out of the knowledge that early intervention and prevention are critical for establishing healthy lifestyles.

In developing the Healthyville traveling exhibit, Stepping Stones worked in partnership with many community organizations and advisors, including the Bright Bodies Program at Yale School of Medicine, Norwalk Health Department, Norwalk Hospital, Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital, the Yale School of Public Health and the Yale School of Medicine.

About Dole Food Company

Dole Food Company, Inc., is one of the world's largest producers and marketers of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. Dole is an industry leader in many of the products it sells, as well as in nutrition education and research. For more information, visit www.dole.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dole.

Dole Nutrition Institute

The Dole Nutrition Institute (DNI) was founded by David H. Murdock in 2003 as a research and education foundation within Dole Food Company. Now in his 90's, Mr. Murdock is an ardent practitioner of a nutrient-dense, plant-based diet and a true believer in the power of a variety of fruits and vegetables to promote health and longevity. The DNI is comprised of scientists who conduct cutting-edge, nutrition-based research at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, North Carolina. From Dole's corporate offices in Westlake Village, CA, a dedicated Nutrition and Health Communication specialist, who is also a Registered Dietitian, reports on the latest health-promoting findings to the public through various publications and media outlets. An Executive Admin provides support to both locations to complete the team which endeavors to fulfill the DNI's mission of "feeding the world with knowledge."

About Stepping Stones

Stepping Stones Museum for Children is an award-winning, private, non-profit 501 (c)(3) children's museum committed to broadening and enriching the lives of children and families. Stepping Stones Museum for Children is located at 303 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT, exit 14 North and 15 South off I-95. Museum hours are: Labor Day through Memorial Day, TuesdaySunday and select holiday Mondays from 10 am-5pm; and Memorial Day through Labor Day, Monday-Sunday from 10 am-5 pm. Admission is $15 for adults and children and $10 for seniors. Children under 1 are free. For more information about Stepping Stones, to book a field trip or schedule a class, workshop or facility rental call 203-899-0606 or visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.orgor at www.facebook.com/steppingstonesmuseumor @steppingstones on Twitter.

SOURCE Stepping Stones Museum for Children