With New York’s apple harvest getting underway and New York students about to head back to class, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and General Mills’ renowned Box Tops for Education school fund-raising program today announced an innovative way to support the apple farmers and school children of New York.  Details of the New York Apples for Education program were released at the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse.
 
Through the end of October, students across New York will be able to harvest stickers from New York State apples and redeem them for cash for their schools through General Mills’ Box Tops for Education program.  Schools that collect and submit 100 New York apple stickers will earn 100 Bonus Box Tops credit.  For the duration of the program, the apple stickers will have the same value as Box Tops for Education coupons on General Mills products.
 
“For generations, apples have been seen as gifts from children to teachers.  Now, children and their families can make buying and eating New York apples a gift to their local school,” said Senator Clinton.  “New York State is expecting a strong apple crop this fall and I’m proud that some of those apples will help provide extra money for our schools.  The New York Apples for Education program is a great example of how a company like General Mills continues to step forward to support our communities.”
 
Since launching Box Tops for Education in 1996, General Mills has given more than $90 million to schools nationwide, including more than $5.5 million to schools across New York alone.  During the 2002-2004 school year, New York schools earned more than $1 million through the program.  The fall apple program will supplement the existing effort through which thousands of New York schools submit Box Tops for Education coupons from General Mills products and redeem them for cash.
 
“New York schools have always been very active in the Box Tops for Education program.  At a time of tightening school budgets, it’s rewarding to help schools pay for such things as computers, athletic equipment, school supplies and other items they would do without if it weren’t for this extra help,” said Jeff Peterson, director of Box Tops for Education at General Mills.  “We’re glad to bring this great addition to Box Tops for Education to New York and hope to see a significant number of apple stickers as part of school submissions.”
 
New York’s 695 apple orchards produce an average of 24 million bushels of apples every year.  The state ranks second in apple production nationwide.
 
“Just in time for the apple harvest and back-to-school, this exciting initiative encourages apple consumption with school children and at the same time helps get more funding to New York classrooms,” said Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association.  “We’re grateful to Senator Clinton and General Mills’ Box Tops for Education program for this exciting win-win opportunity for kids and our state’s apple growers.”
 
New York apples can be purchased at nearly any grocery store in New York.  Through October, the apple stickers can be brought to school and displayed on the special New York Apples for Education poster that all New York schools enrolled in Box Tops for Education will receive.  Once 100 stickers have been collected, the poster can be mailed in, postmarked by October 31, 2003, for 100 Box Tops school credit.  Limit one poster per enrolled school.  Eligible New York schools not currently enrolled in Box Tops for Education can request posters by calling 1-888-799-2444.
 
Participating apple varieties and sticker numbers that can be redeemed include:

#4104 Small Cortland
 
#4108 Small Crispin
 
#4124 Small Empire
 
#4132 Small Gala
 
#4136 Small Golden Delicious
 
#4152 Small McIntosh
 
#4167 Small Red Delicious
 
#4097 Small Ginger Gold
 
#4106 Large Cortland
 
#4110 Large Crispin
 
#4126 Large Empire
 
#4134 Large Gala
 
#4137 Large Golden Delicious
 
#4019 Large McIntosh
 
#4168 Large Red Delicious
 
#4096 Large Ginger Gold

About Box Tops for Education

Box Tops for Education is open to any accredited public, private, or parochial schools for grades K-8 in the United States that have a 501 (c)(3) or 509 (a)(1) tax-exempt designation and to any United States military schools, for grades K-8, worldwide.  The program is also available to accredited home school associations, K-8, in the United States that have a 501 (c)(3) or 509(a)(1) tax-exempt designation and have 15 or more students.
 
Participating products include General Mills cereals, all Betty Crocker products and Betty Crocker fruit snacks, Yoplait Yogurt Multi-Packs, Yoplait Go-GURT, Lloyd’s Barbeque products, some General Mills snack products, and General Mills food service products.
 
The Box Tops for Education program encourages parents to contact their child’s school to make sure it is enrolled in the program. For more information, and a listing of participating brands and products, please refer to the program’s Web site at www.boxtops4education.com.