Welcome to Issue #2 of the DooFletter! So much has happened in the world of DooF. The following is merely the tip of the iceberg…iceberg lettuce, that is. Mangia!

Production Update

In June, DooF was awarded a production grant from the Bay Area Nutrition & Physical Activity Collaborative (www.banpac.org) to produce a short public service announcement promoting fresh fruits and vegetables in urban neighborhoods!

On August 15, the DooF production team, the Oakland’s Mobile Farmer’s Market (www.peoplesgrocery.org) and Tommy Shepard of the groundbreaking hip-hop group Felonious hit the streets of Oakland to shoot Food Talks, a fun, 30-second TV spot to be broadcast this fall.

Food Talks represents a major step forward in our mandate to use television to energize the work of vital organizations like the People's Grocery and the communities they serve.

When Tommy Shepard popped out of the Mobile Farmer's Market van as DooF character 'Nefarious P' and began to juggle and spin fruits and vegetables, the kids couldn’t wait to get their hands on the 'goodies'. It was the kind of raw excitement one typically associates with the most effective fast food advertising – only this time it was entirely fresh, natural and unprompted. In between takes, kids were milling the streets munching carrots, apples, corn, celery and cucumbers. It was a DooF dream come true.

There is no doubt that if these foods could be promoted and made available in these communities, they would be just as popular as the fast foods that kids are currently consuming.

In the process of filming, the DooF team made a wonderful connection to the residents and community leaders in West Oakland. We look forward to doing more work with them in the future!

DOOFERS IN THE NEWS

So much has changed in the two years since the DooF mission began. Concern about nutrition and childhood obesity (recently considered fringe issues) has quickly risen to the surface of national consciousness.

In June, after surviving two heart surgeries, President Clinton launched his national campaign to reduce obesity in American children. (www.news-medical.net)

And last month, Maria Shriver conducted a statewide learning tour of California to interview residents about issues of health, nutrition and exercise. In Oakland, Ms. Shriver was briefed by none other than DooF Advisory Board member Dr. Anthony Iton. For more about Ms. Shriver’s tour: article on SFGate

DOOF KID OF THE MONTH

This month we shine our DooF light on Tallulah Axinn, one of the original members of the DooF repertory group, who acted in the first video we made nearly 18 months ago.

Tallulah has gone on to wide acclaim as a featured player in the educational series we produced last year for the Oakland Public Schools.

A gymnast in her spare time, Tallulah will be attending 4th grade this fall.

Her favorite food is rice, and her best friend is Carmen.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH: OLD FASHIONED PEACH COB-DooF-LER

Mix peaches with lemon juice and 1 tablespoon sugar in a 9-inch pie plate or shallow baking dish. In a small bowl, mix flour, 1/2 cup sugar and salt. Add beaten egg and toss with a fork to make a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle over peaches. Drizzle with the melted butter. Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes, or until bubbly and brown. Serve warm with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon and some whipped cream. Serves about four. Yum!

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