KIND Blog & News

KIND Healthy Snacks and the Surfrider Foundation have been partnering on events in the Pacific Northwest for over two years now and we are about to make it happen again this Saturday!

In support of Earth Day Month and this month’s Big KIND Act, volunteers from KIND and Surfrider are teaming up to clean the beautiful waterfront at Lincoln Park Beach. If the forecast is right, it’s gonna be a RARE sunny day In Seattle so if you’re feeling kind, feel free to swing by from 11am-2pm, don some gloves and lend a hand with the Big KIND Cleanup! Just look for the big Surfrider Foundation tent when you get there and pick away! Summer is around the corner so pitch in and “DO the KIND Thing for the world” and keep the beaches clean.

For more information about the Surfrider Foundation and how to get involved please visit www.surfrider.org.

-Alex, KIND Field Team

Between March 11th and 20th, more than 100,000 people filled the streets of Austin, Texas for one of the most comprehensive interactive film, and music festivals in the nation! The city was brimming with “techies,” film enthusiasts, and music lovers – all gathering to experience South by Southwest (SXSW)…

KIND was excited to be featured at Rachael Ray’s Feedback Greenhouse, a music lounge located at the Big Red Sun House in Austin’s Eastside. As a respite from the chaos of SXSW, Greenhouse attendees were able to listen to the sounds of G Love, J Roddy Walston & The Business, Caveman, The Click Clack Boom, The Cringe, and Civil Wars to name a few! On top of the stellar line-up, guests sipped on complimentary cocktails, sampled from local food trucks, and chowed down on KIND Healthy Snacks and custom KIND-flavored cake balls by Holy Cacao.

In addition, Kevin Christiana, a Project Runway contestant and Rachael Ray Show contributor, was at the Greenhouse curating a show room of vintage-rock inspired fashions in collaboration with Andrew Hilfiger. Inside the Greenhouse, guests were able to try on iconic rock pieces from Kevin’s personal stock and pose for impromptu photo shoots!

For more information on Rachael Ray and upcoming projects, visit: http://www.rachaelray.com/
–Carly, KIND Field Team

The sixth annual World Festival gala took place on Monday night at Soldier Field in Chicago, bringing together more than 700 foodies who sampled tastings from prominent local and national Chef’s.

On the right: Art Smith, former personal chef to Oprah Winfrey and Founder of Common Threads

World Festival, hosted by Common Threads, celebrates food and its influence on the diverse cultures that surround us. In addition to sampling the global food stations of Chicago’s most prominent restaurants, guests perused a silent auction, enjoyed a special performance by K’NAAN and struck a pose at the KIND photo booth. Even Common Threads founder and culinary guru, Chef Art Smith, made sure to pay the booth a visit, flashing his pearly whites for the KIND camera.

KIND was honored to be among the who’s who of Chicago’s culinary scene, as well as to play a role in helping Common Threads to raise $350K to support their organization aimed at providing children of low-income families with after-school, nutrition-based cooking courses.

- Jenny Busby, KIND Field Team

It’s official: KIND is a natural fit for America’s finest wines – and pleases the palates of the most discerning wine enthusiasts, connoisseurs, and foodies in the country!

Just ask any of the over 300 wineries, or the over 6,000 attendees at the 28th Annual SF Chronicle Wine Awards at Fort Mason in San Francisco! Executive Director, Bob Fraser, and wife, Cary Fraser, love KIND paired with wine so much that they welcomed guests to the awards showcase with the immediate greeting of a KIND and wine booth that served up delicious bars to entering foodie attendees.

“This makes perfect sense – fruit, nuts and wine! I’m already a fan of KIND, but I’ve never thought to have a glass of wine with my Fruit & Nut Delight. Genius!” exclaimed one woman.

“I remember KIND from last year!” another person said, excited to see us. “It’s such a great snack to have with wine, and there’s never enough food at these events, so I actually brought two with me in my purse today just in case!”

So grab a KIND bar and raise your glass – and why not ring in the weekend with a new KIND of pairing?

Cheers,
Tammy, KIND Field Team

Earlier this month, KIND joined over 1,000 Bostonians at The American Lung Association Fight for Air Stair Climb to help in the fight for healthy lungs and clean air.

It was a true inspiration to see so many local families and friends come together to “climb for the cause.” Upon completing their climb to the top at One Boston Place, participants healthily indulged in KIND’s six newest flavors and were thrilled to finish with a KIND bar and a “Congratulations!”

For more information about the Fight for Air Stair Climb and to find a climb near you, please visit:

http://www.lungusa.org/donate/events/fight-for-air-climb

- Corey, KIND Field Marketing Manager, Boston

On Tuesday, February 1, more than 100 KINDAHOLICS (a.k.a. those with uncontrollable love for KIND and spreading kindness) blew us away by carrying out the KINDING mission and bringing a warm beverage to volunteers, nurses, paramedics and other caregivers in their communities. You can read more about KIND Tuesday on our blog here.

(Click the image to see more pictures on our KIND facebook page!)

Keeping good on our promise to pay the kindness forward, we partnered with the warm-hearted folks at One Warm Coat to purchase 100 brand new coats to deliver to homeless New Yorkers. Then on a blustery and cold February 10th, the entire KIND team, in town from all across the country for our company-wide meeting, took to the streets to bring the coats to those in need. We stopped in soup kitchens, subway stations, parks and shelters, including The Bowery Mission, inciting smiles and words of thanks for our kindness that was made possible by yours.

The KIND energy was contagious and the entire experience was more moving than any of us could have imagined. What at first seemed like the simple action of gifting coats, quickly transformed into life changing interactions for both the recipients and members of the KIND team. In one instance, our delivery was the source of resounding cheers and tears of joy, and in other instances we were met with smiles, heartfelt thanks and words of wisdom. Overall, the day was confirmation for all of us that we are part of something very special – something that has the potential to sweep the nation and make our world a little kinder.

We hope all KINDAHOLICS will be on board for next month’s KINDING mission, because we have more big KIND acts in store! To get in on the action next month, make sure to sign up here: www.KINDsnacks.com/kind-mission and thank you again to everyone who made this possible!

On Wednesday, January 26th, Austinites joined together at Touch of Sass Boutique to celebrate “Sip…Savor…Shop!” a Sip & Savor Austin event hosted by KIND Healthy Snacks. Sip & Savor Austin is a city-wide food and drink celebration, with events spanning over a 15-day period.

At the event, we put a KIND twist on typical desserts and cocktails by featuring three cocktails inspired by KIND and created by Austin Personal Bartenders, as well as collaborated with Holy Cacao! to create custom cake balls incorporating three of KIND’s new flavors. As attendees “sipped and savored,” they were introduced to creations by Tracy Tenpenny, a local Austin jewelry designer.

The event was just one more example of how, at KIND, we love to get creative with our bars! From pairing them with wine and cheese, to creating a drink inspired by our ingredients or cooking up a delicious dessert with our favorite KIND flavor, the possibilities are endless!

To learn more about Sip & Savor Austin, please visit http://www.sipandsavoraustin.com/

-Carly, KIND Field Team, Austin”

As field marketers, we have the good fortune of working with some amazing people spearheading some pretty awesome initiatives.

This week, we wanted to give props to Major League Baseball all-star pitcher, Jamie Moyer, and his wife Karen, founders of the Moyer Foundation and Camp Erin. The mission of The Moyer Foundation is to offer encouragement, comfort and support to children enduring a time of profound emotional, physical or financial distress and provide opportunities for enhancing overall wellness, stability and quality of life.

One of the ways the Moyer Foundation does this is through Camp Erin. Camp Erin is the largest bereavement camp in the country and will have over 40 camps in more than 25 cities in 2011. It is designed for kids ages 6 – 17 who are grieving the loss of someone close to them and provides a weekend-long experience, filled with traditional camp games and fun activities coupled with grief counseling and emotional support.

The Moyer Foundation’s goal is to open and fund up to 60 camps, one in every Major League Baseball City – How KIND is that?! Check back throughout 2011 to see how the KIND field marketing team will be supporting the Moyer Foundation and camp Erin during the year!

- Tammy, KIND Field Team
www.moyerfoundation.orgFB: http://www.facebook.com/#!/themoyerfoundation