IFCO Systems, a leading global provider of reusable packaging solutions, is donating salad bars to five Romulus Community Schools, which are located southwest of Detroit. IFCO's donations are being made in coordination with the United Fresh Foundation's Let's Move Salad Bars to MIDWEST Schools campaign, which works to increase children's access to and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

"IFCO has a long and strong history of corporate social responsibility, particularly in the area of helping to make high quality fresh produce available to school kids," Dan Walsh, president of IFCO North America, said in a press release. "We proudly support organizations that promote initiatives affecting the everyday lives of people in the communities we serve, such as United Fresh's salad bar initiative, Forgotten Harvest, a food bank in the greater Detroit area, and related food safety initiatives."

Salad bars were implemented at the following schools at the start of the 2014-15 school year:

• Romulus Middle School, 716 students
• Cory Pre-School, 95 students
• Wick Elementary School, 383 students
• Romulus Elementary School, 414 students
• Hale Creek Elementary School, 289 students

"The students, teachers, administrators and parents in Romulus deeply appreciate the donation of salad bars by IFCO. They will help support our goal of engraining good eating habits starting at a very young age with the hope they will last throughout our student's lives," Kathleen Norred, food service director at Romulus Community Schools, added in the press release.

The salad bars were arranged through a partnership with the United Fresh Foundation to support the organization's Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative, which is committed to increasing children's produce consumption by working with the produce industry, foundations and allied businesses to support salad bars for schools nationwide.

In January, the foundation announced a special Midwest focus to their campaign, aligning the initiative with their annual produce industry convention in Chicago. Let's Move Salad Bars to MIDWEST Schools, a special campaign under the umbrella of the national effort, is focused on supporting salad bars for schools in six Midwest states: Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

"IFCO continues to be an excellent partner in our efforts to increase children's access to fresh fruits and vegetables," Tom Stenzel, president and chief executive officer of the United Fresh Produce Association. "This donation to the Romulus Community Schools is a perfect example of a public-private partnership to educate students in their formative years about the importance of eating fresh produce and establishing healthy eating habits."

Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools has facilitated the donation of salad bars to more than 3,500 schools, benefiting nearly 2 million students every day. Nationwide, salad bars are changing school food environments and helping students make the healthy choice, the easy choice.