Feature News

PAGE, Ariz., April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- With more than one million miles of geological wonder unfolding behind them, National Park Foundation representatives today joined volunteers from ARAMARK to participate in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area's first planting of the First Bloom program with more than thirty students from Page Middle School.

"Now in its second year, the First Bloom program is an opportunity to provide all children with a meaningful outdoor experience," said Vin Cipolla, Vice Chairman of the National Park Foundation. "Through First Bloom, children are taught lessons of environmental stewardship at a young age so they can develop a strong conservation ethic and become connected and invested in the world around them. We thank ARAMARK for their generous support of this program and for their ongoing commitment to preserving our parks."

The students have been learning about First Bloom over the past year through curriculum-based activities incorporated into their school's native plant and cultures club. Today, joined by National Park Service Rangers from Glen Canyon and volunteers from ARAMARK, children planted the park's first First Bloom garden and demonstrated what they have learned about native plants and their relationship to the environment.

The children planted more than fifty perennials native to the Glen Canyon region including; Hummingbird Trumpet, Prince's Plume, Snowy Four O'Clock, Evening Primrose, Purple Coneflower and Indian Rice Grass around the park's historic Wahweap Amphitheatre and Campground.

First Bloom was launched in 2007 by then NPF Honorary Chair, Mrs. Laura Bush, at the historic National Park Foundation Leadership Summit in Austin, Texas, First Bloom is a national conservation education program from the National Park Foundation that reaches out to urban youth in their communities to teach them the science of native plants, encouraging them to protect the environment in America's celebrated national parks and in their own backyards.

First Bloom was created to honor the conservation legacy of Lady Bird Johnson. Partners in the initiative include the National Park Service, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, local Boys and Girls Clubs and youth organizations across the country that reach out to young people in their communities. In 2008, the program was launched in five U.S. cities with an initial $1 million contribution secured by ARAMARK through the Yawkey Foundation. Now, in its second year, the program has expanded to serve 16 national parks in communities across the country.

About the National Park Foundation The National Park Foundation is an independent charitable organization chartered by Congress in 1967 to strengthen the connection between the American people and their national parks. As the official national non-profit partner of America's National Parks, the Foundation raises private funds, makes strategic grants, creates innovative partnerships and increases public awareness about the need and opportunity for park philanthropy. In its 2008 fiscal year, the National Park Foundation distributed grants and program support of $27.3M.

About ARAMARK ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world. In FORTUNE magazine's 2008 list of "America's Most Admired Companies," ARAMARK was ranked number one in its industry, consistently ranking since 1998 as one of the top three most admired companies in its industry as evaluated by peers and analysts. ARAMARK also ranked first in its industry in the 2007 FORTUNE 500 survey. ARAMARK seeks to responsibly address issues that matter to its clients, customers, employees and communities by focusing on employee advocacy, environmental stewardship, health and wellness, and community involvement. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has approximately 250,000 employees serving clients in 19 countries. Learn more at the company's Web site, www.aramark.com.