During September, students across WA will be taking part in The Great Vegie Crunch, and this year schools are encouraged to apply for grants of up to $75 to assist with the purchase of fresh vegetables for the event.
Cancer Council WA Crunch&Sip Schools Nutrition Senior Coordinator, Mikala Atkinson said access to a variety of fresh vegetables is not always affordable, so providing grants seeks to ensure all students are eligible to participate.
"The Great Vegie Crunch aims to get children around WA crunching together on vegetables while having fun," Ms Atkinson said.
"While families are welcome to supply vegetables for their children at the event, registered primary schools can receive a one-off grant of up to $75.00 to provide the vegetables and ensure that all students can participate in The Great Vegie Crunch activities.
"I would love to see schools across Western Australia make use of this fantastic grant opportunity and provide their students with fresh vegies. Applying for the grant is easy, simply head to the Crunch&Sip website and fill out the form."
Ms Atkinson said she is delighted to see the continued growth of schools both registering for the Crunch&Sip® program and September's Great Vegie Crunch event.
"Last year, more than 100 schools and 22,000 students across WA took part in The Great Vegie Crunch," she said.
"Since its inception in 2014 we have seen just over 228,000 kids participate in The Great Vegie Crunch.
"These numbers are really encouraging for what we are trying to achieve, which is to educate children while establishing healthy eating habits for them early in life.
"We know that kids are eating plenty of fruit but are missing out on vital nutrients from vegetables, so The Great Vegie Crunch is an excellent way to show kids they can have fun while eating vegies like carrots and celery."
Schools that register for the Crunch&Sip® program have access to a range of online resources to integrate vegetable literacy into their students' education, as well as classroom giveaways such as erasers, pencils and hand balls.
To register your school for The Great Vegie Crunch or to apply for a 2024 vegetable grant visit www.crunchandsip.com.au/event/6/the-great-vegie-crunch
