Mother Earth Reward Open for Entries

Media Release 5 June 2013

Mother Earth Reward Open for Entries

The hunt is on to find the 2013 Mother Earth Reward winners – clever schools and early education centres promoting wholesome food and healthy eating to families and their community.

Schools and early education centres enrolled in the Enviroschools programme are invited to submit projects for their chance to win one of three $2500 cash prizes or a $1,500 Most Promising Entry award to continue work on their project.

Entries to the third annual Mother Earth Reward competition open today.

Mother Earth Marketing Project Manager, Caroline Potter, says the competition was created to encourage schools to engage students in projects that focus on wholesome nutritious food, sustainability and have real benefit to the community.

“The goal is to change eating habits of young Kiwis and encourage them to pass these habits on to their families, their friends and the community they live and play in,” says Potter. “Mother Earth Reward and Enviroschools have partnered to recognise schools carrying out innovative work to promote healthy eating, while inspiring others at the same time.”

Previous projects have included creating healthy school dinners, selling home cooking at local fairs, putting together healthy eating seminars for the local community or planting and harvesting a vegetable garden.

Potter would like to see a variety of projects enter the competition this year from all over New Zealand.

“In the past we’ve had many gardening related entries which we love, but we want to remind schools looking at entering to think outside the square too,” adds Potter. “We’re also hoping to see more entries from metropolitan areas of New Zealand as well.”

Judging the competition for a third year is editor of Healthy Food Guide magazine, Niki Bezzant. In 2013 Niki will be joined by two new judges: Foodlovers.co.nz’s Helen Jackson and landscape designer Tony Murrell, co-hosts of Radio Live’s Home & Garden Show.

The Mother Earth Most Promising Entry Award is a new addition for 2013. This new award supports a school that shows great promise but needs a little help to take their project to the next level for 2014. The winner of the Most Promising Entry will receive $1,500 along with a special visit from both Helen Jackson and Tony Murrell who will work with the school to develop the project to produce winning results.

“Last year we had such a high calibre of entries and many were incredibly close to making it to the finals but just needed a little more insight and support to get there,” adds Bezzant. “Having a couple of kitchen and garden experts spend some one-on-one time with the Most Promising school will be immensely valuable - and might just see them scooping another award in 2014.”

For the second year the Mother Earth People’s Choice Award offers one school the opportunity to win a $500 cash prize based on votes from the public through the Mother Earth website.

The ten finalists in Mother Earth Reward 2013 will be announced on 9 September and the five prize winning schools, including the winners of People’s Choice and Most Promising Entry will be officially announced on 23 September.

The competition is open to schools enrolled in the Enviroschools programme. Mother Earth Reward entrants can fill in a simple online entry form and supply images of their project. Entries close 16 August 2013. For further details visit www.motherearthreward.co.nz.

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