Salisbury, Md. (Friday, October 26, 2018) — As part of its commitment to enrich the lives of children in the community, Draper Valley Farms has awarded a $10,000 grant to help Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County provide at-risk children a foundation for achieving healthy lifestyles.

Through its Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the Draper Valley grant will fund the Boys & Girls Clubs programs, with special focus on Healthy Lifestyles. The Healthy Lifestyles initiative — one of three Priority Outcomes at the Club — engages youth in constructive learning activities that stress the importance of healthy eating, maintaining a balanced diet, practicing self-control when making food choices and decisions, and the importance of pursuing and maintaining habits that are constructive. The other Priority Outcomes programs focus on academic success and good character and citizenship.

“As we are serving at capacity (averaging more than 100 children per day), we see an incredible demand in Mount Vernon for positive, structured programming after-school and during the summer, and we deliver the best programs, with incredible results,” said Angela Freeberg, area director in Mount Vernon. “Partnering with Draper Valley, and our other community supporters, we are able to bring that impact to the kids who need us.”

“For many years, the Boys and Girls Club of Skagit County has been a strong educational and community partner in Mount Vernon and throughout the county,” said John Fromong, Draper Valley Farms’ area HR director. “We are committed to making a difference in the community through partnerships like this, and proud to continue our support so that area children, including those of some of our own associates, learn the value of a healthy lifestyle.”

As Boys & Girls Clubs CEO Ron McHenry explains, “With the support of Draper Valley Farms, there is a great opportunity to continue teaching our youth about what goes into their food, what is involved in local farming, and what impact a great local business is able to have on the community. Going beyond the short chats about eating a balanced diet, this type of support from Draper Valley enables us to talk forcefully about why our priority outcomes programs matter in the lives of our youth, and in our community.

Ultimately, Healthy Lifestyles deals with choices and commitments, and what those choices can help the program accomplish. “When we ask our kids what it means to commit to health, they come to understand that the question is much more than just a discussion of food,” said McHenry. “As we center each of our Club activities to be fun and engaging, but also formative, in terms of their character, skills, and appreciation of the world around them, we establish the focus on how all three outcomes are united and can lead to incredible results.”

Operating after-school and during the summer each day, all eight Clubs located in Anacortes, Burlington, Concrete, Mount Vernon, and Sedro Woolley, are seeing incredible numbers as we transition to the start of the school year, according to McHenry. 

“The support from Draper Valley Farms is a great example of how the partnership between local businesses and the Clubs serve the youth, create the opportunity for collaboration, and enable much greater discussion about the different jobs, skills, and demands there are throughout the community,” McHenry said.

About the Boys and Girls Clubs of Skagit County
At the Boys and Girls Clubs of Skagit County, our mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us the most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. Our core belief is that each of our four clubs provides our members a safe place to learn and grow, ongoing relationships with caring, adult professionals, life-enhancing programs, character development experiences, and hope and opportunity. The Clubs serve more than 1,800 youth at facilities in Anacortes, Burlington, Concrete, Mount Vernon and Sedro-Woolley. To learn more about the Boys and Girls Clubs, visit www.skagitclubs.org.

About Draper Valley Farms
Draper Valley Farms has been a Northwest tradition since 1935, and today we remain singularly focused on providing carefully raised, fresh, local chicken to the Northwest. Our brands include DRAPER VALLEY FARMS® organic chicken, RANGER® free-range chicken and DRAPER VALLEY FARMS® no-antibiotics-ever chicken. With farms in Washington and Oregon, a feed mill in Washington and our processing plant in Mount Vernon, Washington, our chicken is raised, locally processed and locally available. To learn more, visit drapervalleyfarms.com.