Company History
John Shuman, whose company specializes in sweet onions, had the idea to create Produce for Kids® after his son, Luke, was hospitalized for a virus when he was four months old.
The virus, while common can cause serious lung damage if not treated, opened John’s eyes to the work being done at the Baccus Children’s Hospital that is part of the Savannah Memorial Health.
As Luke was being treated, John and his wife, Lana, learned that the Baccus Children’s Hospital was supported by the Children’s Miracle Network® Hospitals. Over 170 children’s hospitals, like Baccuss, depend on Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals for funds that help maintain technology and service children.
The CMN balloon campaign, common in retail grocery stores nationwide, focuses on center store and John had the idea to expand the connection into the produce department with the Produce for Kids program. At the time, spring 2002, cause marketing was a new concept in the produce industry but after an initial test, Publix Supermarkets and Meijer were the first retailers to participate in the campaign and the program spread from there. Today, the program spreads across 15 retailers from around the country and raises money from more than 50 fresh produce companies.
“If you ever visit a children’s hospital it will change your life,” John says. “The work they do there is amazing.”
