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Month-long activities starting on this year's Joyful Fruit Day, April 27, will be launched in schools across Hong Kong under the encouragement of the Department of Health to encourage students to develop a habit of eating fruit.
The finals and prize presentation ceremony for a major Joyful Fruit Day activity, the "FruitĦESweetĦEHome" Model Making Competition for primary schools, was held today (April 14), officiated by the Controller of Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health, Dr Thomas Tsang, and the Principal Assistant Secretary (Curriculum Development) of the Education Bureau, Dr Cheung Kwok-wah.
Organised for the fifth year running, Joyful Fruit Day has witnessed an overwhelming response this year with a record participation of more than 500,000 pupils from 1,155 schools, accounting for some 90% of students from pre-primary institutions, and two-thirds and one-third of students respectively from primary (including special education) and secondary schools.
Addressing today's presentation ceremony, Dr Tsang said that eating fruit can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and certain cancers, but local surveys have shown that barely half of primary students in Hong Kong habitually eat fruit twice a day or more.
He said: "In view of this, the Department of Health has organised an annual Joyful Fruit Day in collaboration with a number of organisations since 2007, as an overarching part of the EatSmart@school.hk Campaign.
"Joyful Fruit Day activities aim to promote home-school cooperation and create a favourable atmosphere under which students are encouraged to maintain a habit of eating an adequate amount of fruit every day."
The theme of this year's Joyful Fruit Day is "fruitĦEsweetĦEhome" which stresses that the nurturing of healthy children starts with love from home and guidance and encouragement from school teachers.
Dr Tsang said: "I hope that all school workers, parents and students continue to show support for our EatSmart@school.hk Campaign and the annual Joyful Fruit Day in order to bring up children who enjoy healthy living through home-school cooperation."
Joyful Fruit Day is an annual event under the EatSmart@school.hk Campaign co-organised by the Department of Health, Education Bureau, Committee on Home-School Co-operation, Hong Kong Education City, Hong Kong College of Cardiology, Radio Television Hong Kong and World Cancer Research Fund Hong Kong, and supported by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and Parent-Teacher Associations of various districts in Hong Kong.
The 10 winning entries of the "FruitĦESweetĦEHome" Model Making Competition will be exhibited at six different venues from April 20 to May 26 (please refer to Annex for details).
More information on EatSmart@school.hk Campaign and the 2011 Fruit Day event is available at the Department of Health's thematic website of the EatSmart@school.hk campaign (school.eatsmart.gov.hk).
Ends/Thursday, April 14, 2011
Issued at HKT 16:46
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