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Dole, Georgia 4-H and Lt. Governor Casey Cagle's Healthy Kids Georgia Partner to Announce "Raise the Salad Bar" Contest for Local Schools

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Oct 16, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

Dole Food Company, Inc. (NYSE: DOLE), in partnership with Lt. Governor Casey Cagle's Healthy Kids Georgia and Georgia 4-H, today launched a contest for Georgia high schools. The Raise the Salad Bar contest, which ends February 3, 2012, will award three salad bars to schools whose students submit the best essay or video about how their school is working to meet Georgia's health education standards.

"This partnership is a perfect match for Dole's overall mission to encourage a healthy lifestyle in children," said Marty Ordman, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Dole Food Company. "Teaching healthy habits and showing young people that fruits and vegetables can be tasty is a key step in maintaining good eating habits in adults."

Supported by Georgia's Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, the contest is designed to help create healthier school environments in the state. Science shows eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables correlates with a healthier heart, lower risk of cancer, better brain function and a longer life.

Lt. Governor Cagle noted, "Health issues like diabetes, high blood pressure and low self-esteem all have the effect of holding our children back and keeping them from reaching their true potential. Georgia's youth deserve to be given the tools to live a happy and healthy life, and we have the opportunity through our schools to lead by example in teaching our children wellness and proper nutrition."

In Georgia, childhood obesity has reached an epidemic level, with nearly a quarter of students considered obese by the time they are in third grade. Healthy Kids Georgia was developed as a challenge to educational leaders to help fight this epidemic.

For additional contest and entry details, visit www.raisethesaladbar.com.

About Dole

Dole, with 2010 net revenues of $6.9 billion, is the world's largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables, and is the leading producer of organic bananas. Dole markets a growing line of packaged and frozen fruit and is a produce industry leader in nutrition education and research.

About Healthy Kids Georgia

An initiative of Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, the Lt. Governor's Healthy Kids Georgia is a collaboration of the Office of Lieutenant Governor, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation's Healthy Schools Program, and other community partners. Formed in 2010 to address the epidemic levels of childhood obesity in Georgia and the serious physical and emotional consequences of the problem, the program encourages schools to partner with their local communities and the Healthy Schools program to confront the childhood obesity crisis by implementing health and wellness programs in Georgia's schools. By working with educational leaders from across the state, the challenge exposes children to nutritious school lunch options, increased daily physical activity, and greater awareness of the importance of healthy living. To learn more, please visit www.healthykidsgeorgia.org.

About Georgia 4-H

Georgia 4-H helps young people experience: An increased desire to make a difference in their communities - High levels of leadership, healthy lifestyle, self esteem, public speaking, communication and planning skills - Improved School Performance - Motivation to help others - Overall improvement in civic identity and civic engagement. To learn more, please visit www.georgia4h.org

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