Since the Woolworths Free Fruit For Kids program started, more than 100 million pieces of fruit have been given away to Australian children.
The Woolworths Initiative, which began building fresh fruit habits at a young age, was the first national program of its kind when it began in 2015.
“Since 41% of children between the ages of 4 and 8 do not receive the recommended daily intake of 1.5 servings of fruit, the national program aims to help ensure that more fruit is included in children's diets.
Woolworths offers apples, bananas, pears and tangerines during the season and estimates that children have eaten more than 14,000 tons of free fruit from children since the program started.
Paul Turner, General Manager of Fruits and Vegetables at Woolworths, said, “At Woolworths, we want to help children get the recommended daily intake of fruit.
“It is one of our largest community initiatives to offer Australian children more than 100 million free fruit. Not only does it make fresh fruit easily available to children across Australia, but it also helps build a healthier future for our country.
"We'd like to thank our customers, especially parents, for supporting the initiative, but also our branch teams and farmers who made sure these baskets of free fruit for kids are full of great Australian products, the kids to be able to enjoy."
100% of the fruit given away comes from local suppliers such as Mackay Bananas in Queensland and Montague Apples in Victoria.
Tony Alcock, second generation breeder of Alcock Bananas, said: "As an Australian family business, we are committed to taking positive steps to ensure that children develop a love for fruit.
"There's nothing more exciting than knowing that our bananas have provided tasty nourishment to so many children through the Woolworths Free Fruit for Kids program over the past five years."
To celebrate this milestone, Woolworths is offering 100 elementary schools and early learning centers across the country the opportunity to receive free fruit for every student that day, helping Australian children develop fresh fruit habits as they study.
Applications for free fruit for one day are open. For more information, visit Woolworths.com.au/fruitforschools.
Woolworths continues to invest in other long-term community programs promoting child wellbeing and education, including Fresh Food Kids Discovery Tours, the partnership with Life Education, and Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants. In addition, Woolworths supports junior sports initiatives and organizations through partnerships in cricket, netball and surfing, as well as through the Woolworths Discovery Garden collection.
