Sodexo Sponsorship of Marine Corps Marathon Kids Run Bolsters Childhood Health and Wellness
Since 2003, Sodexo has co-sponsored the MCM Kids Run in support of the United States Marine Corps
GAITHERSBURG, Md., October 31, 2016/3BL Media/ - Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life Services, partnered with the United States Marine Corps last weekend for its annual Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) Kids Run, an annual lead-up activity to the largest marathon in the world that doesn't offer prize money. Sodexo, which has a track record in improving the health and wellbeing of customers all ages, has sponsored the event since 2003.
The marathon brings together runners from all walks of life to participate in a patriotic race and a day of family-friendly activities. Over 3,500 kids participated in the MCM Kids Run, including nearly 1,800 from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area that joined the run as part of the Healthy School Award challenge. The top five schools with the most registered student participants received the Healthy School Award. In addition, Sodexo provided a monetary donation to the winning schools’ physical education departments.
“According the President’s Council on Fitness only one in three children are physically active every day and only six states require physical education in every K-12 grade. This lack of physical activity contributes to childhood obesity, which recent reports have deemed a threat to national security given that less recruits arrive physically fit enough to qualify for the armed services,” said Dave Scanlan, CEO, Sodexo Government for North America. “By supporting events like the MCM Kids Run, not only are we reinforcing the importance of good nutrition and physical fitness to the participating kids, many of which are children from military families, but we are also helping to combat obesity, which directly impacts military readiness.”
As each child crossed the finish line, Sodexo provided a nutritious snack for the children to enjoy and then invited them to visit its activity tent. This popular post-race hangout featured a variety of activities focused on keeping kids’ minds and bodies active, including:
- Dance party with Xbox 360 interactive dance games
- Refueling station, featuring bottled water & bananas
- Health themed coloring banners
- Temporary tattoos
- Kids fun table with Halloween stickers and bubbles
Since 2002, Sodexo has provided foodservice management to all mess halls on United States Marine Corps bases throughout the continental U.S. Sodexo is committed to the quality of life of the troops and their families that it serves daily.
With more than 40 years of experience working municipal, state, federal and military clients, Sodexo’s Government segment and its nearly 3,000 employees improve the Quality of Life for the people it serves at 150 military and U.S. Federal Government locations in 26 states. Headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, Sodexo provides a variety of integrated food and facilities management solutions and is the nation’s largest federal foodservice contractor – serving 45.6 million meals annually with a focus on wellness and nutrition.
Sodexo delivers more than 100 services across North America that enhance organizational performance, contribute to local communities and improve quality of life. The Fortune Global 500 company is a leader in delivering sustainable, integrated facilities management and foodservice operations.
Learn more about Sodexo at its corporate blog, Sodexo Insights.
