Coca-Cola Kicks off Spring with $150,000 Investment to Help Combat Obesity

Grants Support New Initiatives with Diabetes Québec and the Canadian Institute of Child Health to promote Calorie Literacy, Nutrition and Active Living

TORONTO, April 19, 2013 /CNW/ - Coca-Cola Canada is proud to announce that The Coca-Cola Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company, has awarded $150,000 in grants for two Canadian organizations to support community nutrition literacy and active living programs.

Canadian Institute of Child Health (CICH) will receive a $100,000 grant to work with community-based organizations in Nunavut to provide Inuit families with support and information on healthy food choices and the importance of regular physical activity. Translated into English, French and Inuktitut, the non-branded culturally relevant material will include a storybook and activity suggestions for parents and teachers.

"Health outcomes in Nunavut remain well below the rest of Canada; this grant will help CICH support families by working with their communities to promote healthier lives for their children and youth," said Dr. Robin Walker, CICH Board Chair, Integrated Vice President, Medical Affairs and Medical Education, St. Joseph's Health Care, London, Ontario.

"I am very excited about this initiative and the prospects for positive health impacts among our most vulnerable child population. Great things can happen when corporate, national and community organizations partner with the shared goal of improving children's health. Best of all, we are engaging youth in making better decisions from a very early age," said well-known Inuit educator Shirley Tagalik of Inukpaujaq Consulting.

Diabetes Québec, an organization dedicated to preventing diabetes and helping people with diabetes live healthier lives, will receive $50,000 to assist them in providing the people of Quebec with support and information to better manage weight, blood sugar and activity levels.

"Physical activity is an important ingredient in the prevention of diabetes and it is also essential in avoiding health complications resulting from diabetes," said Serge Langlois, President and CEO of Diabetes Québec. "It is one of our priorities to encourage people to put fitness in their daily program."

"Choosing to live a healthy, active, and balanced lifestyle is one of the most important decisions we can make," said Nicola Kettlitz, President, Coca-Cola Ltd. "By helping people learn how to make nutrition and physical activity choices that meet their individual needs, these organizations are making a positive impact on the health of our communities."

About The Coca-Cola Foundation
The Coca-Cola Foundation awarded more than $70 million to 263 community organizations around the world in 2011 to support sustainable community initiatives, including water stewardship, community recycling, active, healthy living, and education. These grants continue our ongoing efforts to promote active living and healthy nutrition choices. For more information about The Coca-Cola Foundation, please go to www.thecoca-colacompany.com/citizenship/foundation_coke.html.

About Coca-Cola Canada
Coca-Cola in Canada operates in all ten provinces, and employs 6,300 people in more than 50 facilities, including seven production facilities across Canada. We offer a wide variety of beverage brands, many of which come in no-calorie and low-calorie options. These beverages include sparkling soft drinks, still waters, juices and fruit beverages, sports drinks, energy drinks and ready-to-drink teas. We're proud to offer some of the most popular brands in Canada including Coca-Cola®, Diet Coke®, Coca-Cola Zero®, Sprite®, Fanta®, Nestea®, PowerAde®, Minute Maid®, Dasani® and vitaminwater®. Coca-Cola in Canada is represented by Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada and Coca-Cola Ltd. For more information about our Company, please visit our website at www.livepositively.ca or www.cocacola.ca.

About Diabète Québec
For more than 50 years, Diabetes Québec has pursued its mission to inform and make the public more aware of diabetes in order to help prevent the disease and its complications. The Association has close to 30,000 members: these include people with diabetes and the health professionals specializing in this disease. The Association has pioneered education in Québec for people with diabetes; its Diabétaide Educational Service has helped thousands, as has its InfoDiabetes hotline. Diabetes Québec actively defends the rights of people by lobbying government to promote diabetes prevention and provide better care.  To learn more, visit www.diabete.qc.ca.

About The Canadian Institute of Child Health
The Canadian Institute of Child Health (CICH) is dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of all children and youth in Canada through monitoring, education, and advocacy.  CICH is a national, charitable organization founded in 1977 and has a successful history of developing and implementing initiatives to increase public understanding and awareness of child health issues.  CICH puts information directly in the hands of community and parents through its publications, videos and web site.  Our areas of focus include healthy pregnancy and childbirth, healthy child development, safe environments, monitoring child health and well-being and advocacy on behalf of children and youth.

SOURCE: Coca-Cola Canada

Dave Moran, Director of Sustainability
Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada
416-424-6127
[e-mail]

Janice Sonnen, Executive Director
Canadian Institute of Child Health
613-230-8838 x 223
[e-mail]

Sylvie Lauzon, Chef des Opérations et Directrice du développement
Diabète Québec
514-259-3422 x 226
[e-mail]