Central Florida families gathered Oct. 4 for a free event, hosted by Produce for Kids and Publix, at the Orlando Publix Aprons Cooking School to kick off the third annual Healthy Families, Helping Kids campaign.

Publix resident chef, Anthony LoGerfo, guided families in the assembly of their own "healthy caterpillars" made with fresh fruits and veggies. The Very Hungry Caterpillar was on hand for a meet and greet with families.

More than 100 families attended an interactive educational event hosted by Produce for Kids and Publix to kick off the third annual Healthy Families, Helping Kids campaign.More than 100 families attended the Orlando event along with local bloggers and media. Several fruit and vegetable companies supporting the campaign were in attendance and sponsored products were displayed for families. Goody bags filled with partner coupons and promotional items were handed out to attending families.

"We are truly excited to have been able to introduce our Publix Aprons Cooking School to more than 100 families with an event that encourages families to eat healthier," Dwaine Stevens, media and community relations manager at Publix, said in a press release. "Publix is dedicated to educating shoppers on the benefits of eating healthy and our partnership with Produce for Kids supports that mission."

The Healthy Families, Helping Kids campaign is educating Publix families on the benefits of healthy eating and raising funds to support local health and wellness classroom projects through DonorsChoose.org. To help Publix increase its donation, shoppers are encouraged to add more produce to their grocery carts through Oct. 22.

"As a parent, I understand the pressure to get a healthy meal on the table," Amanda Keefer, director of marketing communications at Produce for Kids, added in the press release. "Our goal for this event was to provide Orlando families with additional resources to help make this process a bit easier as well as introduce them to our fruit and vegetable partners' healthy products."

Shoppers should be on the lookout for Produce for Kids signage, featuring The Very Hungry Caterpillar, in the produce section of all Publix stores to find out more information on the Healthy Families, Helping Kids campaign. The signage will direct shoppers to www.produceforkids.com, which features more than 170 RD-approved and family-tested recipes, meal planning tools, campaign information and healthy tips from real parents. During the event, shoppers were encouraged to share their photos on social media using #HealthyCaterpillar.

The Orlando Aprons Publix Cooking School opened last December and offers a variety of classes that are entertaining and informative for beginners or experienced cooks looking to expand their repertoire. The school also offers children's cooking classes. Chef LoGerfo has an impressive résumé, and as a dad he has a true passion for making meal prep and dinnertime a family affair.

The interactive fun for Publix shoppers doesn't stop just yet. During the Healthy Families, Helping Kids campaign, shoppers are encouraged to snap a photo near a sign located in the Publix produce department and upload it to Instagram using the #ProduceforKids hashtag for a chance to win a gift basket from The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Funds raised during the Healthy Families, Helping Kids campaign benefit DonorsChoose.org, an online charity aimed at helping public and charter schoolteachers across America obtain the supplies needed for their classrooms. To date, 190,000 public and charter schoolteachers have used DonorsChoose.org to secure $247 million in books, art supplies, technology and other resources to enhance student learning.

All eight participating fruit and vegetable companies supporting the campaign will make a donation to support local classroom projects. These companies include Apio Inc., Buddy Fruits, Del Monte Foods, Chiquita Fresh/Fresh Express, Florida Department of Citrus, Evolution Fresh, Ventura Foods, and Paramount Farms/Wonderful Pistachios.