Brighter Bites honors Sysco with partnership award

Houston, TX, July 14, 2026 — Brighter Bites BB #:371141, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create communities of health through fresh food, presented the inaugural Feeding Futures Partnership Award to Sysco BB #:105962, the global leader in food distribution, in recognition of its extraordinary national partnership and longstanding commitment to helping Brighter Bites connect families with fresh food and nutrition education.

The award was presented on Tuesday, July 14, during a special volunteer event and family produce distribution at Houston’s Marian Park Sunrise Center.

Over the past decade, Sysco has contributed significant philanthropic support to Brighter Bites and created a multi-faceted partnership by leveraging its FreshPoint subsidiaries to support produce logistics for Brighter Bites programming in Florida, San Antonio, Dallas, and the Greater DC Metro region.

“Sysco has been far more than a financial supporter of Brighter Bites,” said Rich Dachman, Chief Executive Officer of Brighter Bites. “They have been a true operational and mission partner, helping us move fresh food into communities, supporting our teams across multiple cities, and consistently stepping up to invest in the health and well-being of families. This recognition reflects not only their generosity, but their deep commitment to creating healthier futures for children.”

The event brought together Sysco volunteers, Brighter Bites staff, and local families for a day of service and celebration. Sysco team members bagged fresh produce for distribution to families attending the event. Families were able to take home bags of fresh produce as part of Brighter Bites’ ongoing work to improve access to healthy food.

“Sysco is honored to receive Brighter Bites’ inaugural Feeding Futures Partnership Award. For the past decade, our partnership has reflected a shared commitment to expanding access to nutritious food and strengthening the communities we serve. Together, we’re bringing to life Sysco’s Purpose of Connecting the World to Share Food and Care for One Another,” said April Love, Sysco’s Vice President, Chief Inclusion & Community Impact Officer.

The event was held at the Houston Independent School District’s Sunrise Center, located at Marian Park Community Center in Southwest Houston. Sunrise Center serves as a vital community hub, supporting students and families through wraparound services that remove barriers to learning. Operated in partnership with the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, the center provides resources and support to strengthen family well-being across the community.

“Supporting families takes collaboration, and we’re proud to celebrate a partnership that demonstrates what’s possible when organizations work together to make healthy food more accessible,” added Dachman.

For more information about the Brighter Bites program, visit www.brighterbites.org, or follow the organization on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or YouTube. 

About Brighter Bites:

Brighter Bites is a nonprofit that creates communities of health through fresh food with the goal of changing behavior among children and their families to prevent obesity and achieve long-term health. Brighter Bites is an evidence-based, multi-component elementary school, preschool, and summer camp program that utilizes reliable access to fruits and vegetables, nutrition education, and consistent exposure to recipes and messages that feature fresh food. Since 2012, Brighter Bites has provided over 83 million pounds of produce and millions of nutrition education materials to more than one million individuals (including teachers) in Austin, Bakersfield, Dallas, Greater DC Metro, Greater Philadelphia, Houston, Las Cruces, Phoenix, Monterey County, New York City, San Antonio, San Diego, Southwest Florida. To learn more about Brighter Bites, visit www.brighterbites.org.

About Sysco:

Sysco is the global leader in selling, marketing, and distributing food and related products to customers who prepare meals away from home. This includes restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments, entertainment venues, and more. Sysco operates 337 distribution centers in 10 countries, with 75,000 colleagues serving approximately 730,000 customer locations. The company generated sales of more than $81 billion in fiscal year 2025, which ended June 28, 2025.

As the world’s largest food-away-from-home distributor, Sysco offers customized supply chain solutions, bespoke specialty product offerings, and culinary support to drive customers to innovate and optimize their operations. We act as a trusted business partner to our customers, helping them grow through our industry-leading portfolio that includes fresh produce, premium proteins, specialty products, sustainably focused items, equipment and supplies, and innovative culinary solutions.

For more information, visit https://www.sysco.com/. For important news and key information for Sysco investors, visit the Investor Relations section of the company’s website at investors.sysco.com.

Media Contact

Melanie Button

melanie.button@brighterbites.org