August 27, 2008 07:56 PM Eastern Time 

Introducing Crayons® All-Natural Sports Drinks: Finally, a Better Choice to Combat Youth Dehydration

BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bellevue, WA-based Crayons, Inc., an all natural beverage company, announces the first and only line of all natural and high fructose corn syrup-free sports drinks created specifically to address the nutrition and hydration needs of youth athletes.

Ron Lloyd, CEO of Crayons, Inc. explains, “As a parent and kids coach, I’m thrilled to finally have a healthier sports drink option for the next generation of athletes. There are 58 million thirsty kids, including my own, who are involved in sports. For the first time ever, kids can stay hydrated and get important nutrients with a drink designed just for them. We are confident that Crayons® All Natural Sports Drinks will soon replace other sports drinks, juice boxes, and bottled waters.”

While other leading sports drinks, including Gatorade®, are not specifically formulated for kids, Crayons® All Natural Sports Drinks are developed to meet the nutritional and performance needs of thirsty youth athletes. Each all natural flavor contains no high-fructose corn syrup, no dyes, no artificial sweeteners, no preservatives, and have 50% less sodium than the leading sport drink.

Brooke de Lench, founder of MomsTeam.com®, a leading web site focused on youth sports, health and safety, recommends Crayons® All Natural Sports Drinks because they meet kids’ hydration needs more than either water or adult-formulated sports drinks. “Studies show that sports drinks are better than water at re-hydrating kids because sports drinks contain essential electrolytes, and because kids are more likely to drink the required liquids if there is a moderate amount of sodium and some fruit flavor included,” said de Lench. “Other sports drinks are not designed for kids’ needs and have too much sodium and other undesirable ingredients for kids.”

Youth dehydration is a serious issue. The book “Home Team Advantage: The Critical Role of Mothers in Youth Sports,” written by de Lench, notes that two out of three children are dehydrated before sports practice even starts. By the time kids say they are thirsty, they are already dehydrated. Kids who are well hydrated are often the best performers, as they are able to maintain stamina and endurance throughout the game. Liquids should be consumed before, during, and after sports.

Perfect for fall sports and other activities, Crayons® All Natural Sports Drinks fill a void in the fast-growing functional beverage market for kids. Crayons® All Natural Sports Drinks provide optimal levels of vitamins, electrolytes and minerals, with low amounts of organic evaporated cane juice and a moderate amount of low-sodium sea salt–all carefully selected to specifically address the hydration and nutritional needs of kids. Added vitamin C and calcium help growing kids stay strong.

Each Crayons® All Natural Sports Drink comes in an environmentally friendly 8-ounce, easy-to-hold can–an ideal single-serving for kids to “slam down” when they need to be re-hydrated and replenished. Crayons® All Natural Sports Drinks have just 50 calories and come in three fun and great tasting flavors: Playoff Punch, Leaping Lemon-Lime and Breakaway Berry.

Crayons, Inc. has teamed up with de Lench to create a downloadable “Healthy Hydration Guide for Parents” available at http://www.drinkcrayons.com/downloads/CrayonsEBrochure-lores.pdf. Site visitors can also find photos and nutritional profiles of the Crayons® beverages.

Currently available at more than 100 natural and other grocery stores across Western Washington, Crayons® sports drinks can be found at retailers such as QFC, Top Food & Drug, and Whole Foods Market®.

In addition to Crayons® All Natural Sports Drinks, Crayons, Inc. also offers an all natural line of fruit juice drinks that contain healthy amounts of fiber, vitamins and minerals, and a proprietary blend of natural ingredients called SugarGuard™, which helps moderate sugar-absorption rates and reduces sugar spikes in children. Compared to most fruit juice drinks, Crayons® drinks contain 30% less sugar (no high fructose corn syrup) and 25% fewer calories.

About Crayons, Inc.

Crayons, Inc. was launched in April 2004 by co-founders and dads, Duncan Seay & P.J. Palmer. With the mantra Goodness Ought to be Fun™, Crayons® beverages have been widely embraced since launching in 2007 and are already available at more than 3,000 outlets nationwide including Kroger, Sprouts Farmers Market, Henry’s Farmers Market and Whole Foods Market® in addition to other natural and specialty foods stores. Crayons, Inc. owns the U.S. and internationally registered trademarks to the brand name Crayons® along with its registered oval trade design in various food and beverage classes. The Company is headquartered in Bellevue, Wash. For additional information, please visit www.drinkcrayons.com.