KINGSVILLE, ON - SUNSET® CAMP-ARI officially kicked off last month! As part of the SUNSET-sponsored, five-night camp experience at Gesstwood Camp and Education Centre, campers and SUNSET alike celebrated the five recently renovated and winterized cabins that the company donated funds for earlier this year.

“Contributing to our community is incredibly important to us, especially when it involves better serving our local youth,” said CEO Paul Mastronardi. “We wanted to provide an exciting and memorable camp experience and inspire kids to make healthy life and food choices.”

The camp hosted 32 local youths between the ages of 10-15, who were selected by an online contest held by SUNSET that included questions related to leadership, healthy eating, the environment, and why they believe they should be selected to attend the camp.

“After many months of renovations and planning, it was so exciting to see it all come to life and that we finally got to meet all 32 of the contest winners,” shared SUNSET Project Coordinator, Melanie Mastronardi. “We planned a week full of incredible activities for the campers including an outdoor movie night, an exclusive tour of our greenhouse operation in Kingsville, and a special guest appearance by celebrity chef Roger Mooking, host of Man Fire Food on Cooking Channel Canada. We received such positive feedback from the campers and their parents about the great experiences they had and the lasting friendships and memories they made.”

According to a press release, the camp also focused on providing the campers with a variety of flavorful, healthy meals showcasing fresh SUNSET produce. Chef Mooking prepared a special meal cooked over an open campfire that showed CAMP-ARI campers how easy it is to turn fresh vegetables into a healthy, delicious meal.

“Each one of the campers had a special role in creating the dinner, from making the meat marinade, to prepping veggies, and following recipes to create homemade salsa and guacamole. It was really special to see everyone enjoy a meal that they were all involved in!” Mooking said.

For more of the latest ways those in our industry are inspiring the next generation of produce-eaters, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.

SUNSET®