Potato Nutrition Soars Above Manhattan Again
Jacksonville Couple to ‘Anchor’ the Message

DENVER—(November 13, 2007) On Thanksgiving Day, while the rest of us are gathered around the family table for a feast of season and flavor, Eric and Catherine Zappe of Jacksonville will be taking a long walk…in Manhattan, as handlers of the Healthy MR. POTATO HEAD™ balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®.

“This opportunity only comes around once in a lifetime, and I’m so excited to share it with other folks in the potato industry,” said Eric Zappe, who learned about the handler position from his father, owner of a potato chip company in Louisiana. “Everyone I talk to wants to know more about this great Healthy MR. POTATO HEAD balloon. In essence, I’ve become an ambassador of potato nutrition. I grew up in the industry, so it feels good to give back in such a fun way.”

The Healthy MR. POTATO HEAD character came to life in 2005 when the United States Potato Board (USPB) worked with Hasbro® to give MR. POTATO HEAD a healthy make-over. This American icon adopted a new lifestyle, donning a slick pair of running shoes, baseball cap, portable mp3 player and water bottle—he’s even toned-up with new muscles. This is the third year the healthy spud will run down Broadway in the Parade, telling the world about the nutritional power-pack of America’s favorite vegetable.

“Did you know potatoes have more potassium than a banana, and almost half your daily value of vitamin C?” Catherine Zappe asked. “I love surprising people with that information, so I tell everyone. You can bet potatoes will be on the menu after our two-and-a-half mile march down the parade route—our bodies will need them.”

This year’s balloon flight also helps usher in 2008 as the International Year of the Potato, as declared by the General Assembly of the United Nations. This momentous designation for the potato is based upon the vegetable’s nutrition profile and ability to feed the masses.

Here in America, we enjoy an estimated 34.5 million pounds of potatoes on Thanksgiving Day, enough potatoes to run the length of the Parade route more than 2,600 potatoes WIDE. You can feed your “masses” this Thanksgiving with great healthy potato recipes found on www.healthypotato.com. The Zappes agree: “We can all feel good about serving this nutritious, delicious vegetable not only on Thanksgiving but year-round.”

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Eric and Catherine Zappe can be reached at (904) 821-5619 or by e-mail: ericzappe@aol.com or catherinezappe@aol.com.

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Meredith Myers is Manager of Public Relations and David Fairbourn is Manager, Industry Communications & Policy, at the United States Potato Board in Denver. The mission of the USPB is to increase demand for potatoes and potato products through an integrated promotion program, thereby providing US producers with expanding markets for their production. Meredith can be contacted at 303-369-7783 or meredithm@uspotatoes.com. David can be contacted at 303-369-7783 or david.fairbourn@uspotatoes.com. For complete information about the programs, ROI results, and resources and tools available to all members of the industry through the USPB, please visit www.uspotatoes.com. The United States Potato Board – “Maximizing Return on Grower Investment”.