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HEALTHY CHELSEA COALTION RECEIVES $10,000 GRANT FROM OLIVIA’S ORGANICS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

Grant will support efforts to boost students’ daily activity by 30 minutes

CHELSEA—February 22, 2011—Healthy Chelsea announced that the coalition recently received a $10,000 grant from Olivia’s Organics Charitable Foundation of Chelsea. The money from the grant will allow ChelseaPublic Schools, in partnership with Healthy Chelsea, to implement the Physical Activity in the Classroom pilot in all grades at the Mary Burke Elementary Complex. This campus serves 1st graders through 4th graders in four elementary schools.

Healthy Chelsea is a one of 35 programs supported by the MGHCenter for Community Health Improvement.

Recognizing the link between physical fitness and academic performance, Mark DeMichaelis, President of Olivia’s Organics, said his company is very interested in supporting ways for Chelsea students to have daily physical exercise as part of their school experience. “This program will give children the physical activity they need to meet the increasing academic instruction during their school day,” DeMichaelis said.

The grant will fund a trainer to conduct a three-hour training session this spring for approximately 30 faculty and staff who are based at the elementary complex. The grant also will be used to create curriculum manuals and lesson plans for classrooms throughout the elementary complex, to purchase classroom supplies and music equipment (ipod, music downloads, and other supplies) for each of the four elementary schools and program evaluation.

“On behalf of the coalition, I thank Mark DeMichaelis and Olivia’s Organics for their support. This programwill integrate 30 minutes of quality daily physical activity during the school day for all students without compromising academic outcomes,” said Melissa Dimond, Sc.M., Manager of Community Initiatives / Healthy Living located at the MGHChelseaHealthCenter.

Superintendent Designate and Healthy Chelsea Coalition member Mary Bourque agreed. “The ChelseaPublic Schools are grateful to Mark DeMichaelis and Olivia’s Organics for their $10,000 grant to Healthy Chelsea. We are fortunate to have businesses like Olivia’s Organicsthat demonstrate their commitment to the community by supporting Chelsea’s students.”

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About Olivia’s Organics Charitable Foundation

Olivia's Organics Charitable Foundation was established in 2006 by Olivia’s Organics to give back to the neighborhoods and families that have helped shape its business.The mission of theOlivia's Organics Charitable Foundation is to support organizations that invest in the lives of childrenand enrich their future.The Foundation supports smaller, local organizations that have an immediate and direct impact on children.They alsokeep money in reserve to respond to crises in their community.

About Healthy Chelsea

Healthy Chelsea is a coalition of community leaders and residents whose mission is to assess the social and environmental factors influencing Chelsea’s high obesity prevalence and toidentify priority areas for action and launch initiatives to promote healthy eating and physical activity across the community. Chelsea was one of 40 communities across the country awarded ACHIEVE (Action Communities for Health Innovation and Environmental Change) funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to change conditions in the community and reduce obesity.

About the Center for Community Health Improvement (CCHI)

CCHI carries out its work in Chelsea, Revere, and Charlestown, where MGH has maintained healthcare centers for more than 40 years. CCHI has partnered with the communities it serves to assess needs and create more than 35 programs that:

  • Reduce and prevent substance abuse and violence
  • Tackle the obesity epidemic by increasing access to healthy food and physical activity
  • Increase access to care for vulnerable populations such as immigrants and refugees, seniors, and homeless people
  • Prevent and detect cancers early in order to improve health outcomes
  • Generate interest in science and health careers among youth

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