Kickstart Breakfast notches up two million nutritious breakfasts

KickStart Breakfast the school breakfast programme, run by Fonterra and Sanitarium, has today celebrated serving its two millionth breakfast for Kiwi children on World Milk Day, 1 June 2011.

To mark the occasion rookie chef and leading New Zealand rugby player, Richard Kahui, and popular children’s TV host, Erin Simpson, joined the kids of Auckland’s Panama Road School for a special celebration breakfast. The school was one of the founding KickStart Breakfast Clubs in the programme which has since expanded to over 430 participating decile 1-4 schools across New Zealand.

Fonterra Director of External Relations, Kelvin Wickham, says KickStart is a breakfast education club that’s about a lot more than just the nutritious food.

“It’s great to see the difference a good breakfast makes to all the things children like to achieve. Fonterra is very proud of our work with Sanitarium to encourage New Zealand’s younger generation to acquire good eating habits at breakfast and enjoy the social and educational benefits of preparing and eating food together,” Mr Wickham said.

Mr Wickham said the celebration had a special significance because it fell on World Milk Day.

“We’re not only celebrating KickStart Breakfast’s two millionth breakfast, it’s also World Milk Day which is all about celebrating the goodness of milk – a near perfect food loaded with nine essential nutrients – and a great way to ‘kick start’ your day.”

Mr Wickham said the twice a week breakfast clubs operate on a sustainable community partnership model.

“With Fonterra and Sanitarium providing the milk and cereal, and local teachers, parents and the community providing the supervision and coaching, the model encourages the kids into healthy eating which benefits learning without undermining the responsibilities of families to provide a daily breakfast.”

General Manager at Sanitarium, Pierre van Heerden, says schools report that children are happier, have more energy and are able to concentrate more.

“The KickStart Breakfast programme is a natural fit with our focus within the community. We know that breakfast is particularly critical for children, helping to improve their behaviour, concentration, memory and learning ability at school. This programme has responded by helping them develop good long term attitudes and health habits for a lifetime,” says Mr van Heerden.

Since establishing the programme in 2008, Fonterra and Sanitarium have also worked closely with the New Zealand Red Cross, who until recently offered their own Breakfast in Schools programme exclusively for decile 1 schools. 61 schools affected by the closure of the Red Cross programme have now been invited to join KickStart Breakfast.

“We are keen to support the Red Cross to manage this change and help the affected schools by welcoming them into the KickStart Breakfast programme as our community partnership model has a lot to offer these schools and students over a sustained period of time,” Mr Wickham said.

Serving over 30,000 nutritious breakfasts to more than 16,000 children in 433 schools every week, Fonterra and Sanitarium provide Anchor Mega Milk and Weet-Bix to participating decile 1-4 schools throughout the country.

KickStart Breakfast operates throughout New Zealand.

· Northland: 57 schools and 1,614 children

· Auckland: 81 schools and 3,729 children

· Waikato: 60 schools and 2,302 children

· Gisborne: 23 schools and 700 children

· Taranaki: 23 schools and 448 children

· Bay of Plenty: 46 schools and 1,865 children

· Hawkes Bay: 25 schools and 1,079 children

· Manawatu: 35 schools and 1,157 children

· Wellington: 33 schools and 1,378 children

· Tasman: 5 schools and 545 children

· Nelson: 2 schools and 96 children

· West Coast: 7 schools and 290 children

· Canterbury: 21 schools and 582 children

· Otago: 7 schools and 154 children

· Southland: 8 schools and 210 children


For more information visit www.kickstartbreakfast.co.nz