Every Monday and Wednesday, an Armstrong Produce truck pulls up behind the Stan Sheriff Center to drop off eight cases of a variety of fruits for use by the University of Hawai`i Athletics Department.
The contents of the 16 weekly-delivered cases include: apples, bananas, oranges, plums, nectarines and peaches that are provided to all men's and women's student-athletes at the Alexander Waterhouse Athletic Training Facility, which is under the direction of Tommy Heffernan.
Despite the massive quantity of products provided, the UH Athletics Department receives no invoice and makes no payment for the wonderful variety of fruits that are delivered.
Armstrong Produce, a member of UH's Corporate Partner Program, is among a growing list of companies that are stepping up to help UH provide its student-athletes with the nutritional support they need following strenuous practices and weight-training sessions.
"We are proud to be supporting the nutritional program at the University of Hawaii. Fresh fruits are a vital component for staying fit and healthy and this is what keeps our athletes ahead of the game," said Mark Teruya, Chairman & CEO of Armstrong Produce.
The products are stored with Sodexo, UH's concession partner, in order to keep them fresh and are put out each morning and re-stocked throughout the day, as student-athletes stop by to enjoy the tasty and nutritional fruits.
"Our student-athletes are ecstatic to receive these delicious fruits, which help them recover and refuel," Heffernan said. "We definitely see a big difference in their energy level as they replace key nutrients they lost while working out."
In addition to Armstrong Produce, Frito Lay provides packets of cashews, peanuts, pistachios and trail mix;Meadow Gold provides chocolate milk, orange juice and passion orange juice; Muscle Milk provides protein shakes and protein bars, and Oberto provides beef and pork jerky.
"I've witnessed different nutritional programs across the country," Heffernan said. "And our program compares very favorably to some of the big schools because of support we receive from these generous Corporate Partners. It's a big difference-maker for our student-athletes and we are very grateful."
SOURCE: HAWAII ATHLETICS