Washington Court House City Schools and the Big Blue Bus summer food service program have been named as finalist for the national “Turnip the Beet” award for 2024.

Presented by the USDA, Turnip the Beet Award recognizes outstanding summer meal program sponsors across the nation who work hard to offer high quality meals to children that are appetizing, appealing, and nutritious during the summer months.

Out of the thousands of summer food service programs across the nation, less than 100 are considered for the award and only 20 will ultimately earn the prestigious accolade.

“It’s a great honor to even be considered for such national recognition,” said Gary Campbell, WCHCS Food Service Director. “Our team works hard to develop meals that are not only well-rounded and nutritious, but also something that the kids in our community look forward to eating.”

According to the USDA, summer meals are critical in the lives of millions of our nation’s youth, whose risk for food insecurity increases during the summer months when they no longer have access to the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program.

Summer meal programs, including the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) within the NSLP, present the opportunity to help alleviate summertime food insecurity and positively impact children’s growth and development by offering nutritious meals and encouraging children to develop healthy habits at a young age.

High quality summer meals provide daily energy, and help make sure children are healthy and ready to learn when they return to school in the fall.

The Turnip the Beet Award was created to showcase sponsors who are going above and beyond to ensure that children in their care are receiving high-quality meals that are both nutritious and appetizing.

Since its inception in 2019, the Big Blue Bus has served over half a million free meals to children across Fayette County.  With the addition of the Little Blue Truck in 2023, WCHCS has continued to expand its reach into the community, serving hot and fresh meals Monday through Friday during summer break.

For more information on the Big Blue Bus and how you can contribute, click here: wchcs.org/bigbluebus