WP Rawl Announces First Ever Katie’s Camp

[caption id="attachment_15098" align="alignright" width="228"] When Katie Stagliano was nine years old (now 14), she donated a 40-lb. cabbage to a soup kitchen where it fed 270 people.[/caption] This summer, WP Rawl will host a three-day camp for twelve Katie’s Krops grant recipients from all across the country at WP Rawl’s headquarters Pelion, S.C. Every child that has received a grant from Katie’s Krops, a non-profit focused on empowering kids to plant vegetable gardens and donate the harvest to the underserved in their communities, is eligible to apply for a spot at the first-ever Katie’s Camp. This immersive experience will not only reward them but will also teach them about growing practices, budgeting and giving back to their communities. The camp to be held July 16-18, 2013, will also give these kids the opportunity to get to know their peers, learn from Katie herself as well as meet special guests (to be determined). Each year, Katie’s Krops, opens a grant process for kids ages nine to 16 to receive funds to plant their own gardens. This in turn helps Katie’s Krops work towards the goal of having at least one garden in all 50 states. The non-profit began in 2008 when then-nine-year-old Katie Stagliano planted a tiny cabbage seedling and watched it grow into a 40-pound cabbage. After donating it to a local soup kitchen and realizing how many people she was able to feed with it, Katie decided to empower others to do the same. Today, Katie’s Krops has 51 gardens in 22 states that have yielded thousands of pounds of fresh produce donated to organizations helping people in need. "I am so proud of all of our young growers across the country,” said fourteen-year-old Katie Stagliano. “It has been a dream of mine to meet them in person, to learn from them and further empower them to grow a healthy end to hunger in their communities. I am so grateful to WP Rawl for making my dreams a reality by hosting and sponsoring the camp and supporting our grant cycle" Giving back to the community is important to the family-owned WP Rawl, and a partnership with Katie’s Krops was a perfect match. As such, for every bag of specially marked Nature’s Greens Kale and Collard Greens sold from October 2012 – January 2013, WP Rawl gave a percentage of sales to Katie’s Krops and provided funding for 15 grants in 2013, along with funding the camp. “The first time I watched Katie speak, I knew I wanted to help her cause,” said Ashley Rawl, Director of Sales & Marketing for WP Rawl. “I started thinking of ways where we could help her empower other kids to do the same thing she is already doing. Katie’s Camp was born on that day and I am so pleased that we will be able to make it come to life.”