Bloomfield Hills, MI, February 14, 2006 Energy Vending of Michigan (EV), a Metro Detroit-based healthy alternative vending company, has chosen VitaZest® Vitamin & Fruit Enriched WaterT as a healthy alternative beverage for its vending machines located in Michigan schools. EV and Triple A Products, the Florida-based company that distributes VitaZest®, will work together in an effort to offer students healthier vending choices.
EV will donate a portion of the profit on the sale of each bottle of VitaZest® through its vending machines to support the Michigan-based nonprofit program MINDS.
MINDS is the Mental Illness Needs Discussion Sessions group. The MINDS initiative was created to educate middle and high school students on mental illness and eating disordersincluding obesity.
“VitaZest® is a perfect choice for Energy Vending in its efforts to support the MINDS group and to aid administrators and politicians in Michigan schools to help make Michigan’s youngest citizens more conscious of nutrition,” said Ziv Alcalay, Vice President of Operations for Triple A Products.
VitaZest® is a premium, flavored water beverage that has great taste, no sugar, no carbs, no calories, and no caffeine. There are ten vitamins and minerals in each bottle of VitaZest®, one of the few enhanced water beverages enriched with calcium. VitaZest® comes in eight fruit flavors: Kiwi Strawberry, Pomegranate, Blueberry, Peach Melon, Mango Cherry, Passion Fruit, Lemon Lime, and Orange.
“Energy Vending will include VitaZest® in school vending machines at a time when legislation is being proposed that would limit the presence of unhealthy beverages in Michigan Schools,” said Scott Abramson, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Triple A Products.
“Former State Senator Virg Bernero of Lansing, who took office January 1, 2006, as the Mayor of Lansing, MI, has introduced SB91, which would require school districts to establish nutritional policies and to prohibit all sales or distribution of beverages high in fat or sugar, along with any juice drinks containing less than 50% fruit or vegetable juice. High schools would be required to ban sales of such drinks during school hours,” continued Abramson.
“The bill goes further in calling for coordinated health teams that would, among other things, review and approve beverage sales and implement school health action and nutritional plans.
“It’s a tough stance that could have an impact on districts that take in money from their contracts with beverage distributors. But the soft drink industry itselfin an effort to head off additional regulationhas begun voluntarily reducing the soda pop supply in school vending machines in favor of juice products and water. Bernero’s bill, then, may primarily serve as a guarantee against backsliding.
“Considering societal issues teens are exposed to today, coupled with the pending legislation on changes in school-based vending machines, what better time to bring this [effort] to the public?” concluded Abramson.
“The alliance with MINDS, VitaZest®, and EV is a home run,” Alcalay confirmed.
The MINDS Program is supported solely through corporate sponsorships, grants, private donations, memberships, and special events. For further information or to make a donation to the MINDS program, please contact the Donations Coordinator at (248) 644-8003 or via email: mindsinfo@mindsprogram.org.
Energy Vending of Michigan may be contacted at (248) 330-4626 or by email at customerservice@energyvendingofmichigan.com.
VitaZest® Vitamin & Fruit Enriched WaterT is produced by Boca Raton, Florida-based Triple A Products, LLC, with regional offices in Lake Success, New York. For more information, please visit www.drinkvitazest.com.