Santa Clara Agencies Join Drink Up Campaign

First Lady Michelle Obama and the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), of which Mrs. Obama is honorary chair, announced FIRST 5 Santa Clara County (Calif.) and the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) joined the Drink Up effort, a national campaign which encourages people across the country to drink more water, more often.

“Increasing water consumption and improving the health of Santa Clara County’s youngest children is a priority for FIRST 5. We are proud to stand with the Partnership for a Healthier America and Drink Up to play a role in bringing this message nationwide,” said Ken Yeager, FIRST 5 Commission Chair and Santa Clara County Supervisor.

FIRST 5 and SCVWD are supporting Drink Up as part of their work to increase children’s access to safe, clean tap water through the funding of water bottle refilling stations, or hydration stations, in schools throughout Santa Clara County.

“The water district is proud to provide Santa Clara County residents with safe, clean and healthful water every day. With funding through the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection measure overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2012, we will be able to provide greater access to drinking water in local schools,” said Beau Goldie, SCVWD CEO.

FIRST 5 has invested more than $100,000 to install water hydration stations in 20 schools with early childhood centers and student populations at “high-risk” for obesity based on Body Mass Index scores. SCVWD is investing roughly $250,000 over three years to fund the installation of 50 hydration stations in schools. A total of 40 stations are set to be installed by fall 2014. The Drink Up logo will be placed on water hydration stations and will be integrated into an upcoming countywide water campaign.

“As Drink Up encourages more people to drink more water, we also want to help make choosing water an easy choice. The efforts announced today will help us show more people that you are what you drink, and when you drink water you Drink Up,” said PHA CEO Lawrence A. Soler. “We applaud the efforts of each of our supporters toward helping us take another step closer to providing access to water for more people wherever they are, whenever they want it, however they want it—be it tap, filtered or bottled.”

Other supporters standing alongside FIRST 5 and SCVWD to support Drink Up and ensure people across America have access to drinking water include Brita, Haws Corporation, Nalgene Outdoor Products, S’well Bottle and The California Endowment.

“FIRST 5 has long been a champion of encouraging Santa Clara County’s young children and families to drink more water. It is an honor to join Drink Up and to have the opportunity to build upon our existing efforts with such well-respected organizations,” said Tyson Jue, FIRST 5 Interim CEO.

“Water bottle refilling stations are a great way to encourage young people (and adults) to drink more water. Access to clean drinking water is imperative for us all and that will continue to be our number one priority,” said Brian Schmidt, vice chair of the Santa Clara Valley Water District board of directors.

Source: Santa Clara Valley Water District