Voting Opens for Opal Apple’s Youth Make a Difference Initiative

Public voting is open for Opal Apple’s Youth Make a Difference Initiative, a campaign designed to provide financial support to causes led by youth ages 6 to 25. Voters are being asked to help select charities to receive up to a combined $150,000 in funds at www.opalapples.com. For the third consecutive year, Opal Apple’s Youth Make a Difference Initiative is giving funds to youth-led projects that address issues in food security, nutrition, agriculture, food politics or food education. Numerous applications were received from non-profit and school-based organizations and narrowed down to 24 charities for public voting. Voters are encouraged to vote one time between April 15, 2015 and May 15, 2015. Learn more about these inspiring charities and vote for your favorite at www.opalapples.com. "We discovered so many worthy projects while reviewing the Youth Make a Difference Initiative applications and are so proud of where we are after three years,” says Keith Mathews, CEO of FruitsFruits of Washington. “While the voting process is a way for us to select charities, it also raises awareness for food security and inspires others to get involved and make a difference in their own communities." Opal apple is known as the apple with a purpose: a portion of sales from each case of Opal apples sold is put toward the Youth Make a Difference Initiative. This season, up to $150,000 will be distributed through the initiative, doubling last season’s amount, company officials say. Funds will be distributed in July to the winning charities based on consumer votes and consistency with criteria. Nomination guidelines, criteria and funding details are available online.