[December 19, 2017]

Cuties, iHeartRadio Surprise After-School All-Stars of South Florida with Special Holiday Gift

Cuties, the brand that pioneered California-grown mandarins, teamed up with After-School All-Stars (ASAS), the leading national provider of daily, comprehensive tuition-free academic, fitness and enrichment programs for underserved families after-school, to deliver a special holiday gift to kids enrolled in the program at Bowman Ashe/Doolin K-8 Academy in South Florida.

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Y100 DJ Frankie P and students enrolled in After-School All-Stars at Bowman Ashe-Doolin point to their favorite artists' signatures on the Cuties Buddy Bench. The Buddy Bench was signed by Nick Jonas, Halsey, Logic, Demi Lovato and others at the Y100 Jingle Ball in Miami on Sunday. (Photo: Michele Eve Photography)

Cuties joined Y100's Jingle Ball concert tour at the BB&T Center Sunday to introduce the concert series' first ever Cuties correspondents, Ayden and Ryan Soria, two brothers from Los Angeles. Ryan and Ayden were selected after submitting a video about what kindness means to them through Cuties' 100 Days of Sunshine contest promoted during ON (News - Alert) with Mario Lopez and Ryan Seacrest's AT Top 40.

During the concert, Ryan and Ayden asked artists and celebrities from the popular tour to sign a custom-designed Buddy Bench. Buddy Benches were created by an elementary student in Pennsylvania to help foster friendship on the playground. Students sit on the bench when they're looking for a friend to talk to or play with. Artists at the Jingle Ball tour, including Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, Halsey, Charlie Puth and Logic signed the bench and added personal messages of encouragement to After-School All-Star students.

"Cuties i on a mission to spread positivity and sunshine during California Cuties season, from November through April," said Howard Nager, vice president of marketing and business development at Sun Pacific, the grower and shipper of Cuties. "We're thrilled that together with iHeart Radio and After-School All-Stars, we'll be able to give All-Star students at Bowman Ashe/Doolin a very special reminder to share sweetness all year long with our Cuties Buddy Bench and pledge to provide healthy snacks to all the students enrolled in ASAS programs in South Florida."

Cuties and Y100 DJ Frankie P donated the Buddy Bench on Monday at Bowman Ashe/Doolin, one of 400 After-School All-Star school sites nationwide. Cuties also announced it would donate a season's worth of fruit to the 2,000 students enrolled in the program locally. According to the Afterschool Alliance, making after-school meals available helps combat the hunger and food insecurity that affects more than 15 million children in the United States¹.

"We are honored to partner with Cuties' and iHeart Radio to support the wellbeing and good nutrition of our students," said Natalia Sol of After-School All-Stars. "Our programs teach kids the value of kindness and inclusion, and the Cuties Buddy Bench will reinforce those values and serve as a reminder for students to continue to spread positivity and sweetness in their community."

For more information about After-School All-Stars of South Florida, visit AfterSchoolAllStars.org. To learn more about Buddy Benches and how you can implement one at your school, visit BuddyBench.org.

About Sun Pacific
Founded in 1969, Sun Pacific® is a leading California grower, packer, and shipper of fruit with more than 75 million boxes of the highest quality fresh fruit sold each year. Sun Pacific is the owner of America's most preferred brand of clementines, Cuties®, and the largest kiwi grower with the number one kiwi brand in North America, Mighties®. They are one of the largest navel orange grower/shippers in California, with exceptional brands such as Air Chief® and Vintage Sweets®. Sun Pacific is also renowned for its outstanding quality Air Chief table grapes. For more information, visit www.sunpacific.com.

About After-School All-Stars
Founded in 1992 by Arnold Schwarzenegger, After-School All-Stars (ASAS) is a leading national provider of year-round, school-based, comprehensive afterschool programs. The organization's mission is to keep children safe and help them succeed in school and in life. Every school day, students in low-income communities have access to free programs that offer academic support, enrichment opportunities, and health and fitness activities. 73,000+ children from 19 U.S. locations benefit: Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Newark, New York, North Texas, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Antonio, South Florida, Tampa Bay, Toledo, Washington D.C., Bay Area and Puget Sound. For more information, visit www.as-as.org.

¹ http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/policyAfterschoolMeals.cfm

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