Dole has celebrated the first grand prize winner of its Get Up and Grow! health and wellness initiative during a week of activities at the California Health & Longevity Institute at the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village in Westlake Village, California.
Meena Rao of Cordova, Tennessee, was chosen from more than 15,000 Get Up and Grow! pledge-takers in 2015 for setting personalised wellness and fitness goals, including eating more fresh produce, and then keeping Dole apprised of her goal-setting progress throughout the summer.
“Meena’s ongoing commitment to eating and living healthier – and to getting her friends and family to join her in her health and wellness mission – perfectly demonstrates the spirit of Get Up and Grow!,” said Bil Goldfield, director of communications for Dole Food Company. “We were delighted to welcome her to Dole this week and look forward to her continued involvement with the brand.”
Rao was originally introduced to Dole’s Get Up and Grow! through one of many social channels, and recruited her friends and family to join the initiative.
After establishing personal health goals, she returned to her personal Get Up and Grow page to post regular updates about her pledge progress.
“I specifically pledged to reducing stress in my life, eating a healthy diet and maintaining a regular exercise schedule,” said Rao. “While formalising my commitment through the Get Up and Grow programme definitely helped, it was the possibility of a wellness getaway at the California Health & Longevity Institute at the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village that encouraged me to stick to my goals.”
Thanks to the response by Rao and the other Get Up and Grow! participants last year, Dole has expanded Get Up and Grow! in 2016 to include a focus on families and other groups wanting to commit to collective health and wellness goals.
“We were overwhelmed by the passion shown by Meena and thousands of other Get Up and Grow! participants last year,” said CarrieAnn Arias, vice-president of marketing for Dole Fresh Vegetables. “Our goal was to provide the basis for long-term nutritional health and happiness – and the very positive response from Meena and others inspired us to go even bigger with Get Up and Grow! in 2016.”
