[May 26, 2016]

Dole's Nationwide Tour Hits the Road to Bring Health Seekers Together

One of the world's largest fresh produce providers kicks off its nationwide healthy-eating tour today with a simple message for everyone wanting to live healthier this summer:

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Dole launches a 42-city nationwide healthy eating Tour as part of its "Get Up and Grow! Together" campaign. The Tour launches today on "National Eat More Fruits and Vegetables Day," May 26. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Don't go it alone! Achieving your summer nutrition, exercise, health and happiness goals is so much easier when you enlist the help of your friends, family and co-workers.

In response to 2015 findings showing that Americans are more likely to eat, exercise and live healthier in the context of a larger group, Dole is christening its Get Up and Grow! Together Tour, a group-focused reprise of last summer's nationwide journey that will stop at more than 400 supermarkets and special events across the country to offer recipe samplings, hands-on kid's activities and interactive challenges for those wanting to pursue their health and wellness goals individually or in a community.

Officially setting off today in New York City, Dallas, and New Orleans, the 40,000-mile Tour is the centerpiece of Dole's Get Up and Grow! Together, the second year of a multiyear initiative seeking to increase America's nutritional health through greater consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. Three separate Tour caravans will bring healthy-living insights, delicious fresh recipes, free tastes, sharable selfies and other experiences for kids and adults to Americans in 42 cities across the U.S.

In fact, so committed is Dole to expanding America's enjoyment of fresh produce, it chose today (May 26)'s National Eat More Fruits & Vegetables Day as the launch date for the tour to bring more attention to healthy eating. The produce giant is working to build awareness of the day as an annual national holiday, especially among groups committed to healthier living.

"We learned during last year's Tour that the idea of comraderie and competition has even impacted healthy eating and goal-setting," says CarrieAnn Arias, VP of marketing of Dole Fresh Vegetables. "Tour visitors across the country told us they were more likely to stick to their diet, fitness and wellness goals if they were part of larger group that could help keep them accountable. So like fantasy sports, this year's refreshed effort allows participants to form healthy-living teams committed to similar wellness goals, complete with updates and leaderboards - and then offers culinary-immersion and other group experiences as rewards for those that rise to the top."

Dole is partnering with Stephen Glickman, lifestyle and social media expert, to rally the social community to engage with Dole and share healthy fruit and veggie recipes or tips. Stephen and Dole will host a National Eat More Fruits and Vegetables Twitter (News - Alert) Party on Thursday, May 26, from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET (5 p.m. to 6 p.m. PT).

Get Up and Grow! Together is a joint effort between Dole Fresh Fruit of Westlake Village, Calif., Dole Fresh Vegetables of Monterey, Calif., and the Kannapolis, N.C.-based Dole Nutrition Institute (DNI), which includes Dole's newly formed Culinary Nutrition department that blends scientific findings associated with fresh produce with culinary arts to motivate consumers to cook healthy meals with fruits and vegetables.

About the Tour

Colorful Tour caravans outfitted with kitchens and sampling tents will deliver new recipe tastes, an interactive "Kid's Corner," free giveaways and other activities that showcase the fun, flavor and preparation possibilities of fresh fruits and vegetables. Visitors can also present a grocery receipt showing a qualifying level of DOLE^® fresh purchase to receive unique, tour-commemorative items.

New Tour recipes available for sampling range from the Raspberry Mint Cooler, Refresh Juice, Grilled Banana & Greens Salad and Green Toast with Strawberries to Brussels Sprout (News - Alert) and Grilled Pineapple Salad and Broccoli & Fruit Slaw. New salad and other recipes will be added throughout the summer.

A 2016 Tour highlight is the interactive Get Up and Grow! Together Healthy Living Challenge, which updates last year's individual pledge with a new team option enabling participants to build groups of people dedicated to a collective health or fitness goal. Team leaders can recruit their friends, family, co-workers or others to join their team, and then track the growth of their group against others across the U.S.

A prominent new Healthy Living Challenge kiosk will be featured at each Tour stop to allow visitors to commit to eating and living healthier, either individually or as a team. Guests are also encouraged to take an onsite photo themed to Get Up and Grow! Together and share it on their own social pages.

All individual and team challenge participants are encouraged to enter a pair of summer promotions for a chance to receive chef-led culinary-immersion parties and other experiences designed to show the delicious (and sometimes unexpected) possibilities of fruits, vegetables and salads. Participants can submit their challenge and enter the promotion online or at any Get Up and Grow! Together Tour stop.

To meet increased Tour stop demand from supermarket retailers nationwide, three Tour caravans will cover separate regions of the U.S. A full Tour schedule is available at www.dole.com/GetUpAndGrow.

The Eastern Tour departs from New York City and visits Boston; Pittsfield, Mass.; Albany, N.Y.; Northern N.J.; Central N.J.; Carlisle, Pa.; Pittsburgh; Baltimore; Charlotte, N.C.; Greenville, S.C.; South Georgia; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Miami.

The Central Tour leaves New Orleans and visits Indianola, Miss.; Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Cleveland; Detroit; Grand Rapids, Mich.; South Bend, Ind.; Minneapolis; St. Louis; Kansas City, Mo.; Omaha, Neb.; and Des Moines, Iowa.

The Western Tour leaves Dallas and visits Houston; Pharr, Texas; San Antonio; Phoenix; Los Angeles; Monterey, Calif.; Berkeley, Calif.; Sacramento, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; Seattle; Spokane Wash.; Boise, Idaho; and Salt Lake City.

Once again, Dole will leverage its close to 2 million social followers and strong blogger, influencer, registered dietitian and media relationships to encourage widespread public participation and drive consumers into participating supermarkets along the five-month Tour route. These activities are consistent with Dole's larger mission of making America a happier, healthier and more nutritious place.

For continually updated info on Get Up and Grow! Together, including the Tour, interactive Challenge, promotion and recipes, go to the Get Up and Grow! Together microsite (www.dole.com/GetUpAndGrow). For details on specific DOLE^® fresh fruits and vegetables, go to www.dole.com.

You can also follow the latest Get Up and Grow! Together news on Facebook (News - Alert) at www.facebook.com/Dole, and by using @DoleTweets on Twitter, @DolePins on Pinterest, and @DolePics on Instagram.

About Dole Food Company, Inc.

Dole Food Company, Inc., is one of the world's largest producers and marketers of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. Dole is an industry leader in many of the products it sells, as well as in nutrition education and research. For more information, please visit www.dole.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160526005985/en/

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