DATE: July 07, 2008

CONTACT: Dr. Katherine Cason, (864) 656-0539
kcason@clemson.edu

WRITER: Diane Palmer, (864) 656-4741
spalmer@clemson.edu

Clemson University food and nutrition DVD wins national award

CLEMSON — A Clemson University food and nutrition DVD for school children, “Lucy’s Tasty Treasures,” has won a gold award from the spring 2008 Millennium Awards competition. This national award was given for outstanding work in video and web-design. 

The program was developed by Katherine Cason, professor and state program leader for food safety and nutrition, to help combat the obesity epidemic among children. It follows her daughter, Melissa, who plays Lucy in the show, on a treasure hunt to locate and learn about healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, dairy and whole grains. Other actors include Emory and Georgia Childress, Rosio Antunez and Mary Lewis. Clemson University students and faculty in the video include Sergio Nieto Montenegro, Rachel Harris, Marta Gamboa, Mercedes Rossie and Yenory Hernandez.

The Millennium Awards were created to honor outstanding creativity, skill, craft and talent in television, film, video, commercials, print, advertising, web design, audio and radio. 

Lucy’s Tasty Treasures takes a farm-to-table approach to promote healthful eating and physical activity. It is being offered to elementary schools this year through DVDs, family newsletters, student activity books and photo-novellas.

The curriculum is being used in 30 percent of South Carolina schools and about 100 teachers in nine other states have placed orders. It also is used by Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program educators in more than 260 schools and by the non-profit Zest Quest children’s health initiative in 14 schools.

Morel information, recipes, games, a blog and order form for the are available at www.clemson.edu/lucystastytreasures.

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