GoGo squeeZ® and National Park Foundation Join Forces to Make National Park Experiences More Accessible to All Kids
NEW YORK – Today, GoGo squeeZ® – the leading squeezable snack pouch made from 100 percent fruit– is living its mission to make it easier for families to be healthier and happier thanks to a new partnership with the National Park Foundation (NPF) that will put nature and the joy of learning through parks at kids’ fingertips. The partnership kicks off at the start of June’s “Great Outdoors Month” – a month-long celebration encouraging everyone to embrace and experience the natural world.
With a portfolio that includes portable pouches from real fruits, vegetables, yogurt, and almond blend pudding, GoGo squeeZ® has always aspired to nourish enthusiastic, active kids. Feeling the physical and intangible effects of a year spent primarily indoors, the brand took swift action in seeking out partners dedicated to supporting active lifestyles and experiential education for all children. GoGo squeeZ® was acutely aware of the pandemic’s ‘nature gap’ in kids and was hungry to be part of a solution.
To support opportunities for more kids to connect with parks, GoGo squeeZ® is donating $300,000 to NPF’s Youth Education & Engagement initiative, which includes their Open OutDoors for Kids program. Through Open OutDoors for Kids (OOK), NPF is making educational experiences in parks more accessible to all kids, with a specific focus on children who live in communities that are striving to overcome a lack of resources in both rural and urban settings across the country. OOK connects elementary school-aged youth to national parks through field trips and educational activities.
GoGo squeeZ® and NPF’s partnership is grounded in a shared commitment to increase equitable access to nature for all kids. GoGo squeeZ®’s donation will help create pathways for more than 15,000 kids to enjoy parks, introducing them to real-world, vibrant laboratories that provide immersive and inclusive educational opportunities. For roughly two-thirds of OOK youth, it is their first time in a national park.
“We are proud to support youth wellness as we welcome some semblance of normalcy back into our routines. Being part of a program that provides more kids access to nature via the national parks will have a transformative impact on their knowledge, balance, curiosity and imagination,” said Helene Caillate, Chief Marketing Officer at Materne North America - GoGo squeeZ®. “For years, we have researched and perfected our products to foster children’s health and proper nutrition, however, we know that to support the whole child, we need to look beyond our snacks to partners who can help us enrich children’s well-being and mindfulness.”
“GoGo squeeZ® understands that parks are incredible places for learning. Rangers show kids how to identify different birds and trees, invite them to learn about the people that lived on the land, teach them about the fun activities they can do in parks with their friends and families, and more,” said LaTresse Snead, chief program officer at the National Park Foundation. “Thanks to GoGo squeeZ’s critical support, thousands of kids will experience the wonder of parks, and many of them for their first time, helping to inspire a lifelong love and appreciation for nature and our shared history.”
Since 2011, NPF has engaged more than one million students in educational programs connecting them with national parks across the country. Earlier this year, NPF announced its goal to connect another one million students to parks over the next four years. GoGo squeeZ® is proud to partner with NPF in support of this goal.
ABOUT GOGOSQUEEZ®
GoGo squeeZ's® mission is to make it easier for kids and families to be healthier and happier. Since 1998, the brand has been the leading squeezable pouch made from 100% fruit and vegetables. GoGo squeeZ® makes on-the-go snacking nutritious and delicious with more than 30 flavors of squeezable applesauce, Fruit & VeggieZ, YogurtZ, SmoothieZ, and AlmondBlend Pudding. Each pouch is crafted with the highest quality ingredients from nature. For more information visit www.gogosqueez.com.
ABOUT MOM GROUP
MOM Group was founded in 2006 following the merger of Mont Blanc and Materne, two companies with the center of know-how in the French dairy and fruit dessert industries. Today, with its fruit and dairy pouches, Pom Potes® in France and GoGo squeeZ® in the United States, the group is dedicated to offering families healthy, convenient and fun snacking solutions made from the best of nature. It draws its success from its industrial know-how and its capacity to innovate and create healthy snacking solutions based on high-quality raw materials. MOM Group has experienced outstanding growth in the last 10 years, consolidating its position as a healthy snacking leader in several strategic geographies. It is comprised of 1,300 employees across five countries and four factories in France and the US. Since December 2016, Bel Group, a world leader in single-serving portion cheese, is a majority shareholder in MOM Group. For more information visit www.momgroup.com.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
The National Park Foundation works to protect wildlife and park lands, preserve history and culture, educate and engage youth, and connect people everywhere to the wonder of the parks. We do it in collaboration with the National Park Service, the park partner community and with the generous support of donors, without whom our work would not be possible. For more information visit www.nationalparks.org.