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Scrub Club® National Press Club Event

The event featured Senator Norm Coleman, (R-MN), Shelley Feist, executive director, Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE) and Julia Smith, MPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Infectious Diseases.

[Photo - William Fisher]

During the conference, William Fisher, NSF Vice President, introduced the program and explained its importance, "We created the Scrub Club® to raise awareness about the benefits of handwashing. By offering children, parents, and teachers a fun and educational website, our goal is to reduce the number of sick days and ultimately improve the health of children and families."

[Photo - Senator Norm Coleman]

Senator Norm Coleman, (R-MN) hailed the program as an important public health step in educating children and families. The program's simple, yet highly effective approach, plays a critical role in disease prevention among children. "I was astounded to learn more that 164 million days of school are lost due to illness. As parents, we come to expect that our kids will get sick from a cold or flu - without realizing the impact it can have and how easily it can be prevented." To hear an excerpt from Senator Coleman's speech, please click here.

[Photo - Shelley Feist]

Shelley Feist, executive director, Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE), an instrumental partner in launching this initiative, commented on the importance of such a program. The Partnership unites industry associations, consumer and public health groups and the USDA, CDC, FDA and EPA to educate all ages about safe food handling and preparation. "We believe that the Scrub Club® will help us reach out to families in a fun and informative way to get everyone interested in following the safe food handling practices of the FightBAC!® education campaign."

[Photo - Julia Smith]

Julia Smith, MPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Infectious Diseases, discussed the significance of launching the program during National Clean Hands Week and National Food Safety Education Month.

For additional information about the Scrub Club®, please visit www.scrubclub.org or contact William Fisher at NSF International at 800-NSF-MARK or fisher@nsf.org.