Sodexo Recognizes Winners of Youth Poster Art Contest at 2011 National Cherry Blossom Festival

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) GAITHERSBURG, Md. - April 1, 2011 - Winning students from Washington, D.C.’s public and charter schools were recognized for their Youth Poster Art Contest entries on Family Day during the opening ceremonies of the 99th annual National Cherry Blossom Festival. Their works were showcased to thousands of festival visitors at the National Building Museum. The Youth Poster Art Contest is one of two National Cherry Blossom Festival youth programs sponsored by Sodexo Inc., the world leader in Quality of Daily Life solutions.   The Youth Poster Art Contest invites students from DC public and charter schools in grades K through 12 to participate by submitting a poster they design about the cherry blossom trees and their message of goodwill and friendship. Entries are judged by a panel, and winners are selected in age-specific categories, as well as one “best-of contest” winner. Winners are acknowledged and Treasury Bonds are awarded at a special pre-Festival ceremony including the winner’s families, teachers, and Festival, DC Government, and sponsor representatives.   Also sponsored by Sodexo and now in its fourth year, the Youth Ambassadors Program helps to educate Washington's youth (focusing on fourth and fifth graders) about the cultural and international significance of the cherry blossom trees in their communities. Through the program, students learn more about their local history and Japanese culture. They come to understand the importance of the care and maintenance of the trees and help spread the messages of goodwill and friendship.   Each year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival is the official harbinger of spring, attracting more than one million visitors to share in Japan's 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry blossom trees to the United States, which remains important as a universal symbol of goodwill and friendship. The 16-day festival includes diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts, culture, education and the environment.   To learn more about the 2011 National Cherry Blossom Festival, the Youth Art Poster Contest and Youth Ambassadors Program, please visit: www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.   ###   About Sodexo   Sodexo in North America Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com), leading Quality of Daily Life Solutions company in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, delivers On Site Service Solutions in Corporate, Education, Health Care, Government, and Remote Site segments, as well as Motivation Solutions such as Esteem Pass. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation (www.SodexoFoundation.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $15 million in grants to fight hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog at www.sodexoUSA.com/blog.   Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Daily Life Solutions Quality of Life plays an important role in the progress of individuals and the performance of organizations. Based on this conviction, Sodexo acts as the strategic partner for companies and institutions that place a premium on performance and employee well-being, as it has since Pierre Bellon founded the company in 1966. Sharing the same passion for service, Sodexo’s 380,000 employees in 80 countries design, manage and deliver an unrivaled array of On Site Service Solutions and Motivation Solutions. Sodexo has created a new form of service business that contributes to the fulfillment of its employees and the economic, social and environmental development of the communities, regions and countries in which it operates.  

Key Figures (as of August 31, 2010)  

Sodexo in the World
    
15.3 billion euro consolidated revenue
380,000 employees
34,000 sites
50 million consumers served daily
80 countries
21st largestemployer worldwide

Sodexo in North America

8.0 billion dollars revenue
120,000 employees
10 million consumers served daily
6,000 clients
700 facilities management sites

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