RDNC receives $25,000 grant for their “Passport to Family Fitness” program

RDNC receives their grant check from Coca-Cola. L to R: David Chiu, President, Board of Supervisors;
Pam Clisham, Principal, Presidio Middle School; Dora Wong, The Coca-Cola Company;
Sandra Lee Fewer, Commissioner, SF Board of Education; Patricia Kaussen, Executive Director, RDNC

Last Friday, the Coca Cola Foundation presented a $25,000 grant to the Richmond District Neighborhood Center. The Active Healthy Living grant was in support of the Center’s “Passport to Family Fitness” program, designed to help families better understand the long-term benefits of healthy eating and active living.

The RDNC program takes families on a seven-week “world tour” to explore how people across the globe stay healthy and active. The virtual tour introduces families to the cuisine, sports and fitness activities popular in China, Latin America, East Africa, Russia, India and Southeast Asia. Through hands-on cooking and fitness activities, participating families learn more about why they should invest in healthy eating and active living.

The grant award ceremony was held last Friday at Presidio Middle School, where RDNC Executive Director Patricia Kaussen was presented with the $25,000 check from Coca-Cola. The event, attended by more than 300 people, was Chinese New Year-themed and featured a Lion Dance, a Dim Sum Social, group exercises, a cooking demonstration, and art activities.

David Chiu, President of the Board of Supervisors, and Sandra Lee Fewer, Commissioner of the San Francisco Board of Education, also joined in the festivities.

The grant to RDNC is part of the Coca-Cola Foundation’s plan to give $300,000 to non-profit organizations in California, New York and Texas to support family-oriented physical activity and nutrition education programs.

This is the second corporate grant that the RDNC has received in the last few months. In December, AT&T presented them with a check for $20,000 in support of their youth employment training program.

Sarah B.

Children learned how to make salads during one of the healthy living activities at Friday’s event.

Lion dancers at Friday’s event