Five Virginia Schools Earn Healthy School Awards

QUANTICO, VA, December 4, 2012 /3BL Media/ - Held on Oct. 27 in Arlington, VA, the Healthy Kids Fun Run hosted its largest participation to date, topping 3,000 children ages five through 12. Nearly half of this race field participated through the coordinated effort of physical education teachers and PTA groups from area schools. The top five schools with the most students registered are honored with the Healthy School Award, including a monetary donation to their physical education department from MCM partner, Sodexo.

"The Healthy Kids Fun Run is consistently growing in participation as parents, schools and communities reinforce the importance of a healthy lifestyle and physical fitness among youth," says MCM Director Rick Nealis. "The Healthy School Award recognizes the schools that have excelled in their efforts to encourage active kids."

The schools receiving this honor are James K. Polk Elementary in Alexandria, VA (325 students participating); Lynbrook Elementary in Springfield, VA (323 students); George Mason Elementary in Alexandria, VA (245 students); Mount Vernon Community School in Alexandria, VA (216 students); and Claremont Immersion School in Arlington, VA (206 students).

"Supporting local communities is extremely important to Sodexo, and we are also fully committed to ensuring the health of America's youth," says David Bennett, Senior Vice President of Operations for Defense East, Sodexo Government. "The Marine Corps Marathon Healthy Kids Fun Run and the Healthy School Award is a great way for us to sustain that commitment - it gets kids moving and contributes to physical education programs that play an important role in development of healthy habits."

Each winning school will host an assembly for the entire student body featuring MCM mascots Miles and Molly and U.S. Marines from Marine Corps Base Quantico. In addition to the Healthy School Award presentation, each student will receive a nutritious snack provided by Sodexo. Additional prizes will be provided by TheraPearl and Silver Diner.

For more information about the Healthy Kids Fun Run or Healthy School Award presentations, contact Amy Beaulieu, MCM communications coordinator at amy.beaulieu@usmc.mil or 703-784-2357.

ABOUT THE HEALTHY KIDS FUN RUN
The Healthy Kids Fun Run is organized by the Marine Corps Marathon. The 2013 Healthy Kids Fun Run will be held on Oct. 26 in Arlington, VA. Registration opens online on April 13 at www.marinemarathon.com for kids ages 5 to 12. The Healthy Kids Fun Run is sponsored by The Washington Post, FAMILY Magazine, Sodexo, Navy Federal Credit Union, NBC4, the National Children's Museum and the Silver Diner. No federal or Marine Corps endorsement is implied

ABOUT SODEXO
Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com), leading Quality of Life services company in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, delivers On-site Services in Corporate, Education, Health Care, Government, and Remote Site segments, as well as Benefits and Rewards Services and Personal and Home Services. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation (www.SodexoFoundation.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $17 million in grants to end childhood hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog atwww.sodexoUSA.com/blog.