IRVINE, Calif., April 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dannon Company, Inc. today announced the launch of a new campaign to help Californians Live Your Active Culture, to support and motivate families in California to enjoy a balanced diet and find fun, physically active ways to bring everyone together. The campaign consists of five key components: encouraging families to take a pledge to make healthy food choices and include physical activity; a partnership with soccer legend Mia Hamm; a partnership with and donation to the California State Parks Foundation (CSPF); a Dannon mobile tour; and an ongoing, interactive program that provides families with support and rewards for making healthy choices.    

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"Dannon's goal is to help Californians live their active culture, however they can, and to start a movement towards healthy living. We're excited to introduce new tools and ongoing support to encourage California families to embrace good nutrition and physical activity as an ongoing, positive part of their lifestyles," said Michael Neuwirth, Senior Director of Public Relations, The Dannon Company. "We're honored to partner with legendary athlete Mia Hamm, as she is a wonderful inspiration and is eager to help us motivate parents and kids to make nutritious food choices and get active."

Dannon recently conducted a survey of 1,000 moms in California to measure their health and wellness interests and aspirations. The survey revealed that only 26 percent of California moms consider their lifestyle to be healthy or very healthy, and only 40 percent consider the same of their kids' lifestyles. The Dannon Company saw this, along with other insights, as an urgent call to action, which resulted in the creation of a set of health-oriented activities to make a difference for California families – Dannon's Live Your Active Culture. Initial activities began in March, and the program will be in full swing beginning in May.

Live Your Active Culture pledge

To provide an easy way for families to actively make a commitment to their well-being, Dannon created the Live Your Active Culture pledge and accompanying website, Dannon.com/liveyouractiveculture. The pledge starts with a week-long commitment to three simple steps – provide a wholesome, nutritious snack for my family every day; add more occasions of 30 minutes of fun physical activity; and bring the family together for a nutritious dinner. Once participants take the pledge either online or at the Dannon mobile tour, they will immediately gain access to a collection of tools, fitness tips, nutritious recipes, fun events, rewards and savings on Dannon products.  

Mia Hamm encourages an active lifestyle

Dannon has partnered with soccer superstar and mother of twins, Mia Hamm, to encourage Californians to lead a healthy, active lifestyle. Hamm is an extraordinary athlete and holds the record for all-time leading scorer, male or female, in international soccer history. She will be making special appearances throughout California to spread the word and encourage families to take the pledge toward better health and nutrition.

"The purpose of this partnership is very near and dear to my heart as fitness and good nutrition have always been an important part of my family life," said Mia Hamm. "It is a personal goal of mine to inspire families to live healthier, and I like that Dannon supports this through their products and now with programs like Live Your Active Culture, which provides the perfect forum to share my experiences and motivate parents and kids to get involved together."

California State Parks Foundation joins the cause

CSPF, a nonprofit organization founded in 1969 dedicated to protecting, enhancing and advocating for California's state parks, has also joined the campaign. By taking the pledge, families can also feel good about helping communities across California, as Dannon is committing a minimum donation of $50,000 to CSPF and will double that donation to a total of $100,000 if 500,000 pledges are reached by October 31, 2011.*

"We are very pleased to be partnering with Dannon and their Live Your Active Culture pledge," said Elizabeth Goldstein, president of the California State Parks Foundation. "Dannon will help foster CSPF's efforts to encourage the use of California's state parks for healthy living for all Californians."

Dannon mobile tour set to roll

The fourth component of the Dannon Live Your Active Culture campaign is the Dannon mobile tour, which is traveling throughout California to fairs, festivals, events and retail locations from now through October 2011. The tour will feature select appearances by Mia Hamm, a variety of Dannon products to sample and offer fun activities for the whole family, such as a green screen photo booth and prizes. A complete tour schedule can be found at dannon.com/liveyouractiveculture.

Dannon rewards families

The final component is providing an incentive to families who choose to take part in the challenge to live a healthy lifestyle. Dannon will reward participants with sweepstakes and giveaways to further encourage and support their commitment to good nutrition and overall healthy living. For more information, visit dannon.com/liveyouractiveculture.

About The Dannon Company, Inc.

The Dannon Company is America's founding national yogurt company and continually leverages its expertise to develop and market innovative cultured fresh dairy products in the United States. Headquartered in White Plains, NY, Dannon has plants in Minster, OH, Fort Worth, TX, and West Jordan, UT and produces approximately 100 different types of flavors, styles and sizes of cultured fresh dairy products. Dannon is a subsidiary of Danone, one of the world's leading producers of packaged foods and beverages, and Dannon is the top-selling brand of yogurt products worldwide, sold under the names Dannon and Danone.

With a strong commitment to high-quality, wholesome, nutritious and innovative products, The Dannon Company is committed to encouraging people to eat a balanced diet and live a healthy lifestyle. In 2010, for the tenth year in a row, Danone was listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, a worldwide reference for socially responsible businesses. Danone is a recognized leader for its contributions to nutrition and health and was ranked best in class in a 2008 JPMorgan & Insight Investment study about the response of the world's largest food companies to obesity and health-related concerns. This commitment is also illustrated through The Dannon Company's support of the Dannon Institute, an independent, non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting research, education, and communication about the links between nutrition, diet and health. For more information, please visit www.dannon.com.

Media Contact: Grace Chang, Edelman on behalf of Dannon
Grace.chang@edelman.com
323.202.1422

*For maximum donation of $100,000 and minimum donation of $50,000 to the organization. 500,000 pledges must be reached before 10/31/11 to be counted towards the additional donation

SOURCE The Dannon Company, Inc.