HMSHost Donates A Learning Garden At Hollywood High School To Connect Students to Real Food

Students and teachers at Hollywood High School can now enjoy a new outdoor Learning Garden classroom where organic fruits and vegetables will soon be sprouting up. The project was made possible by a donation from global restaurateur HMSHost and construction by The Kitchen Community non-profit organization. Roughly 1,000 square feet of Hollywood High School’s schoolyard in the north quad area were transformed from a nondescript, concrete area to a vibrant, outdoor space that is open to the entire community. “HMSHost is very proud to have worked with The Kitchen Community on this project. HMSHost’s involvement was a natural fit because educating people of all ages about the importance of healthy eating is a value that HMSHost recognizes is important for future generations to learn,” said HMSHost Executive Vice President Paul Mamalian. “This garden will encourage teamwork and serve as an interactive extension of the classroom to empower young people in the community to make healthier food choices by understanding where food comes from. Students at Hollywood High School will benefit from this Learning Garden for years to come.” Designed to inspire and engage, Learning Gardens are attractive outdoor classrooms and experiential play spaces that connect kids to nutritious food. They are designed to inspire spontaneous play by children and to serve as an attractive hands-on teaching tool for educators. This Learning Garden features raised curvilinear garden beds that grow a variety of flowers as well as organic herbs and vegetables planted by the student community. The vegetables and herbs will ultimately be harvested and made available to the school cafeteria and students to take home to their families. The Learning Garden also features large boulders for sitting, art poles at the entrance, and a mural painted by Hollywood High art students that decorates the building hugging the space. “We have seen the overwhelming positive impact that Learning Gardens can make in schools,” said Kimbal Musk, co-founder of The Kitchen Community. “Students involved in a nutrition based education have significantly increased their vegetable intake as well as their academic test scores. Additionally, it’s an absolute privilege to partner with HMSHost and make an investment in these kids’ futures.” For Release October 21, 2015 Page 3 HMSHost Donates Learning Garden at Hollywood High School HMSHost sponsored the Learning Garden in conjunction with participating in the second annual Restaurant High Conference, also held at Hollywood High School. The opening of the Learning Garden was celebrated during a ribbon-cutting ceremony held on October 14. "I would like to thank The Kitchen Community and HMSHost for the generous support and installation of the Learning Garden in our north quad," said Mr. Samuel Dovlatian, Assistant Principal of Hollywood High School. "The Learning Garden, along with the mural, creates a place of peace and inspiration in our urban setting. We are looking forward to our first harvest of herbs and vegetables." About HMSHost Global restaurateur HMSHost is a world leader in creating dining for travel venues. HMSHost operates in more than 100 airports around the globe, including the 20 busiest airports in North America. The Company has annual sales in excess of $2.7 billion and employs more than 33,000 sales associates worldwide. HMSHost is a part of Autogrill Group, the world’s leading provider of food & beverage services for people on the move. With sales of around €3.9 billion in 2014, the Group operates in 29 countries and employs some 54,000 people. It manages approximately 2,800 stores in over 1,000 locations worldwide. Visit www.HMSHost.com for more information. We can also be found on Facebook at fb.com/HMSHost and on Twitter at @HMSHost. About The Kitchen Community The Kitchen Community is a 501c3 nonprofit organization co-founded by Hugo Matheson and Kimbal Musk in 2011 with the mission of community through food. There are hundreds of Learning Gardens in schools around the country impacting more than a hundred thousand students every day. Learning Gardens are outdoor classrooms and experiential playspaces that connect kids to real food and empower them to make healthier food choices. They are designed to be a place where students want to learn and teachers want to teach. Learning Gardens are in some of the largest school districts in the nation, including Chicago Public Schools, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and Denver Public Schools. For more information, please visit http://tkc.org and follow on Twitter @TheKitchenComm