JAZZ APPLE CYCLING TEAM RETURNS
TO NORTH AMERICA
FOR HEART-RACING TOUR
June 21, 2007
 With
the 2007 New Zealand apple season underway, the ENZA JAZZ™ Apple Cycling team has mounted its second annual racing campaign
throughout North America — this time with a special mission.
The team, which includes some of New Zealand’s
top female riders, set off on a two-month road racing campaign
through the U.S. and Canada in early June. In addition to racing
and training, the cyclists are spreading awareness about the positive
connection between eating apples and having a healthy heart, according
to David Nelley, pipfruit category director for The Oppenheimer
Group.
“Last year, the JAZZ™ Apple Cycling Team members
proved to be excellent ambassadors for our apples, on the road
and off,” he said. “People really respond to these
fit, focused athletes who clearly make good nutrition a priority.
Between the crisp, tangy flavor and health benefits that JAZZ™ delivers, our team is quickly making JAZZ™ apple fans of everyone
they meet.”
The team includes New Zealand national time trial
and road race champion Alison Shanks, as well as the country’s
current top-ranked road cyclist Jo Kiesanowski, and her sister,
Michelle Kiesanowski. Other seasoned athletes include Sarah Murdoch
and Susy Pryde, who is a two-time Commonwealth Games medalist
and two-time Olympian. Newcomers Rushlee Buchanan and Malindi
McLean round out the JAZZ™ Apple squad.
"Heart disease is the number one killer of
women in North America,” Nelley said. “With the recent
studies showing how beneficial apples are for the heart, the team
members are encouraging people everywhere to incorporate more
fresh, tasty apples into their diets.”
A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition in March revealed that flavonoid-rich apples decrease
the risk of mortality for both coronary heart disease and cardiovascular
disease among post-menopausal women.
The team has raced in Pennsylvania, California,
and Minnesota, and will swing back to the West Coast of the U.S.
before racing in British Columbia until late July, hosting numerous
store demos along the way.
Nelley said that the sponsorship is already drawing
meaningful attention to JAZZ™. The team’s participation in
the Liberty Classic race on June 10 in Philadelphia caught the
attention of a food writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and
other media outreach is planned.
“Just like the apple itself, the JAZZ™ team
seems to really intrigue people,” he said. “We believe
the reputation we are building for the apple will benefit retailers,
too. As people experience JAZZ™ and understand its benefits, they
will seek it out when they shop.”
New Zealand-grown ENZA JAZZ™ apples are available
throughout the U.S. and Canada from Oppenheimer from now until
August, with the Washington JAZZ™ season spanning November through
May.
Photos are available upon request.
Related Web sites: www.oppyproduce.com
| www.enzafruit.com
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see all media releases.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Karin
Gardner, Communications Manager
Kinley Engdahl-Johnson,
Media Relations Specialist
PH: (206) 284-1705 | FX: (206) 284-0203
The Oppenheimer Group, Communications
expect the world from us
180 Nickerson St., Suite 211
Seattle, WA 98109
USA
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