I'm the New Salada Tea National Spokesperson!

Look! That's my name under the Salada Tea logo...how cool is that?! So this is my way of letting you all know that I won the National Spokesperson Contest and to say THANK YOU to each of you that took time out of your day to support me.  I appreciate you more than you know!

Basically what this means is I'll be blogging about health and wellness and providing tips and suggestions on eating well, staying green and saving some money in the process.  Seriously, who doesn't want to know about that?

Salada, a national green tea company, began their spokesperson search back in May.  Long story short, I beat out hundreds of applicants from across the country and earned thousands of online votes for my submission video.  You can check it out here:  www.unbottleyourtea.com/tara

So keep checking back for more info on this blog, like me on Facebook, and follow me on Twitter for daily tips and suggestions.  I can't wait to see how this unfolds!

Oh, and for those of you who are want to learn more about the contest, Salada and the Unbottle Your Tea campaign I have included the press release below.  See you on the internet!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Aug. 10, 2010      

Contact:        

Megan Lauria

(315) 478-6700

megan@pinckneyhugo.com

SALADA TEA ANNOUNCES WINNER OF FIRST-EVER NATIONWIDE CONSUMER SPOKESPERSON SEARCH

Clinical Nutritionist Tara Coleman Will Help Spread Salada’s ‘Unbottle Your Tea’ Message as New Spokesperson

WINDSOR, Conn. – Salada Tea, the company that encourages tea drinkers to switch from bottled tea to freshly brewed tea made with tea bags because of the wellness, environmental and cost benefits, has announced the winner of the nationwide search for its first-ever consumer spokesperson. Clinical nutritionist Tara Coleman, from San Diego, Calif., will help spread Salada’s “Unbottle Your Tea” message through tips and suggestions for living an all-natural lifestyle.  She will be blogging, tweeting and attending health and environmentally focused events across the country, for which she will be awarded $10,000. 

Between May 3 and June 13, 2010, nutritionists, trainers, fitness instructors and tea lovers from across the country visited www.unbottleyourtea.com/spokesperson to submit an entry form and upload a video explaining why they were the perfect choice for the spokesperson job. The submissions were then narrowed down to the top 10 finalists: Amy Barnes (Dale City, Va.), Nancy Brown (Keene, N.H.), Tara Coleman (San Diego, Calif.), Juliet Grossman (Temecula, Calif.), David Harris  (Covington, La.), Jessica Matthews (San Diego, Calif.), Jamie Minucciani (Oak Brook, Ill.), Lisa Nelsen-Woods (Columbus, O.H.), Tina Ruggiero (Tierra Verde, Fla.) and Dana Walsh (Long Beach, N.Y.). America was invited to visit the website, review their entry videos and vote for their favorite through Aug. 1, 2010.

Coleman, a 32-year-old clinical nutritionist, received the most votes for her creative submission video about incorporating tea into her everyday activities like shopping, jogging and yoga, earning her the spokesperson title. Coleman currently owns her own nutrition consulting company and regularly creates customized eating plans for her clients. She provides tips on eating well on a budget and believes that small, realistic steps are the best way to achieve large wellness goals. Her submission video can be viewed at www.UnbottleYourTea.com/Tara.  

“I’m excited and honored to have been selected as the new Salada Tea spokesperson,” said Coleman. “I tell my clients that small consistent changes can add up to a big result – that’s the same philosophy as Salada’s Unbottle Your Tea campaign. I think this partnership will really help inform people nationwide about wellness and eating right. I can’t wait to get started!”  

Coleman received a bachelor’s degree in integrated science and technology with a concentration in biotechnology from James Madison University. After graduation, she spent six years in the bio-pharmaceutical industry where she tested pharmaceutical grade therapies undergoing approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Eventually, she decided to shift her focus from disease treatment to disease prevention through nutrition. Coleman built upon her undergraduate education by returning to school and completing a clinical nutritionist program. She is actively involved in local organizations like Women Evolution and Outdoor Outreach and speaks to health and fitness groups throughout the San Diego area.

“Everyone at Salada was extremely impressed with the quality of all the spokesperson entries and our top 10 finalists,” said Michele Peters, brand manager of Salada Tea. “We created this program to find a person who really embodies the wellness, environmental and money-saving ideals behind our ‘Unbottle Your Tea’ campaign and with Tara Coleman, we think we have found the perfect spokesperson.”

Coleman will begin blogging about nutrition, lifestyle, eating light on a budget and more in September 2010. She will also represent Salada Tea at wellness events and be featured in Salada promotions. For more information about Tara Coleman, to read her articles, view her submission or introduction video or to submit a question, visit www.UnbottleYourTea.com/Tara  or www.Salada.com. 

About Unbottle Your Tea

Salada Tea launched the “Unbottle Your Tea” campaign in September 2008 to encourage Americans to choose freshly brewed tea as a healthier, more cost effective and environmentally friendly alternative to bottled tea. Compared to bottled tea, freshly brewed tea made with tea bags is naturally sugar free and zero calories, is less expensive and can help reduce the 135 million beverage containers wasted each year. The “Unbottle Your Tea” website features health, environmental and cost-saving statistics, links to related articles, social networking, green activism, recipes and giveaways. For more information, visit www.unbottleyourtea.com.

About Salada Tea

Salada Tea is manufactured by Redco Foods Inc. at its Little Falls, N.Y., operations facility. Salada produces 16 different flavors of green and white tea available at supermarkets nationwide. Salada’s 100% Green Tea is a leading green tea in the U.S., selling more than one hundred million tea bags a year. Salada recently released four new green tea flavors, Pomegranate Berry, Strawberry, Soothing Mint and Classic Lemon, that appeared in stores in September 2009. For more information on Salada products, the health benefits of tea and healthy recipes, visit www.salada.com. Find Salada Tea on Facebook or follow SaladaTea on Twitter for special promotions, giveaways, health information and updates on sampling opportunities.

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