Colavita Foundation for Children and South Mountain YMCA Partner to Activate America™
Colavita Youth Bikes Donated to Support National Fitness Initiative

photo: Stephen Cohen

Linden, NJ – June 7, 2006 – The Colavita Foundation for Children, a charitable organization supported by Colavita USA of Linden, NJ, is partnering with the South Mountain YMCA of Maplewood and South Orange to support the national YMCA Activate Americaä program. To support the local launch of this important public health initiative, the Colavita Foundation for Children will donate five Colavita Pro junior bicycles and helmets and provide assistance with development of the South Mountain YMCA’s new bike safety and fitness program.

“I am very proud to support the YMCA’s Activate Americaä program in my hometown,” says John Profaci, Vice President of the Colavita Foundation for Children and a resident of Maplewood. “We look forward to working with the South Mountain YMCA to create a program that will introduce the lifetime joys and benefits of cycling, while providing parents with the confidence that their kids are riding safely.”

YMCA Activate AmericaTM is a long-term public health initiative of the national YMCA movement that is focused on making healthy living a reality for millions of Americans. This initiative is the YMCA's response to America's growing obesity, chronic disease and health care crisis. “We are thrilled to receive this generous gift,” says David Berry, Senior Program Director for the South Mountain YMCA. “With assistance from the Colavita Foundation, we will launch a bike safety and fitness program this fall. The program will be held in a local park on weekend afternoons so families can participate together.”

As a supporter of the YMCA Activate Americaä program, the Colavita Foundation joins a distinguished group of Strategic Partners including Harvard University's School of Public Health, Stanford University's School of Medicine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and various Fortune 500 corporations.

According to Maplewood Mayor Fred Profeta, “the Colavita Foundation for Children has been a consistent champion of cycling in our community,” adding, “The Colavita Foundation helped coordinate this year’s Tri-Town Family Bike Day and has sponsored numerous cycling events over the years, including the community ride through our planned bikeway, Family Fit Day, the Springfield Avenue Classic Cycling Race, and the Tour of Maplewood.”

The Colavita Foundation’s gift to the South Mountain YMCA represents its second donation of the year. In April, the Colavita Foundation presented youth bicycles to the Bicycle Ride Across Georgia Dream Team, which helps disadvantaged youth from metropolitan Atlanta prepare for the state’s annual bike ride.

The Colavita Foundation for Children offers help and hope to children who have suffered losses from catastrophic events or whose lives have been saddened by economic hardship. The bicycle gifting program was developed to provide bicycles and helmets to children who lost a parent in the tragedies of September 11, 2001. Based on the enthusiastic response, the Colavita Foundation enlarged the program to reach other children suffering from the effects of economic hardship or tragic circumstances. Individuals and businesses interested in providing financial support to further expand the bicycle gifting program are invited to visit the foundation’s Web site at www.ColavitaFoundation.org.

Colavita USA, which markets COLAVITA Extra Virgin Olive Oil and other Italian specialty products and represents the major source of funding for the Colavita Foundation for Children, is a sponsor of the professional Colavita Olive Oil/Sutter Home Winery Cycling Team, the Colavita/Cooking Light Women’s Cycling Team, recreational cycling clubs across the country, and the Colavita New Jersey U19 Racing Team, the largest junior cycling program on the East Coast. For more information about Colavita USA, please visit www.Colavita.com.

The South Mountain YMCA, located at 13 Jefferson Avenue, Maplewood, on the South Orange-Maplewood town line, provides a diverse array of resources, including child care, school age child care, youth and adult sports and fitness, youth enrichment, camping, teens and youth leadership. Call 973.762.4145 for information about South Mountain YMCA programs and membership.

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