FPFC members and volunteers came out to support the salad bar dedication Oct. 17 at Earl Warren Elementary School in Sacramento, CA. Pictured (l-r) are Scot Olson of The Grocery Outlet; Fresh Produce & Floral Council Chairman-elect Mike Casazza of Apio/Eat Smart; FPFC President Carissa Mace; John Holder of Raley's; Greg Corrigan of Raley's Supermarkets; Ken Silveira of Mastronardi Produce-West; Jeff Oberman of United Fresh Produce Association; Lisa Davis of Edge Sales & Marketing; Marvin Quebec of Quebec Distributing Co.; and Jennifer Pelayo of Advantage Sales & Marketing.A California-centric committee of United Fresh Produce Association has vowed to raise funds for 350 new salad bars in California schools by the time the United Fresh convention convenes in San Diego next May.

Dick Spezzano of Spezzano Consulting, who is one of the four co-chairs of the committee, said that at the time the committee was established this past spring, there were 350 California schools on the waiting list, "and we decided that putting a salad bar in each one of those schools was a great goal."

To date, he said in mid-October that money has been raised to buy 100 salad bars. He admits that so far the committee has gone after the "low-hanging fruit," which includes some of the industry produce giants in California and several produce associations or boards based in the state.

In fact, in September and October, the Fresh Produce & Floral Council, which is headquartered in the Southern California city of La Mirada, dedicated the two salad bars that it had donated. In September, representatives of the FPFC attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Western High School in Anaheim, and on Oct. 17, a salad bar was dedicated at Earl Warren Elementary School in Sacramento.

Mr. Spezzano said that several other corporate sponsors and associations have pledged funds for multiple salad bars. Each salad bar costs $2,625 installed, so the total investment to reach 350 is more than $900,000.

The United Fresh salad bar program has attracted interest from all over the country. In fact, Mr. Spezzano said that the California challenge grew out of a similar effort in Texas this past year, prior to the United Fresh convention in Dallas.

"The Texas committee donated 100 salad bars," Mr. Spezzano said.

Carissa Mace, president of the FPFC, said in an effort to help that effort, the salad bar promotion has been picked as one of the two beneficiary for the FPFC December charity luncheon.

Each year, the council holds an auction in conjunction with that luncheon with the proceeds benefiting a charity or two. This year, in a poll of its members, the United Fresh salad bar program along with Wounded Warriors, a veterans group, were named as the charities.

Ms. Mace said that typically about $30,000 is raised, so somewhere between five and 10 salad bars should result.

Mr. Spezzano said it is a great program which helps schools improve the availability of fresh produce in their cafeterias and teaches healthy eating life lessons to students.

The four co-chairs of the California committee are Mr. Spezzano; Karen Caplan, president of Frieda's Finest in Los Alamitos, CA; Lisa McNeece, vice president of Grimmway Farms, Bakersfield, CA; and Margaret D'Arrigo-Martin, vice president of community development at Taylor Farms in Salinas, CA.

Mr. Spezzano suggested that individuals or companies that want to participate contact one of the four chairs.