A “hands-on lesson about honey with kids” sounds like a sticky situation. And while an interactive experience of honeybee pollination is a lesson that sticks, the group of students at Coalition For Kids who enjoyed that experience on Wednesday walked away with nothing but smiles … and honey-free hands.

The event at the Johnson City nonprofit was part of a broader effort to make another record donation of honey by the Sioux Honey Association Co-op. For their latest effort, the 175+ beekeeper-owned co-op – in partnership with regional community grocer Food City – donated a whopping 2½ tons of its U.S. Farmed™-Certified SUE BEE® clover honey to three child-focused organizations:

• Coalition for Kids – Johnson City, Tenn.

• Boys & Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley – Knoxville, Tenn.

• Mountain Mission School – Grundy, Va. 

Each organization received an entire pallet stacked with 180 cases, holding a total of 2,160 bottles of SUE BEE® honey to help provide nutritious meals and snacks for their after-school programs.

“Helping support the health and well-being of those struggling with food insecurities in our communities through our ‘Sharing Sweetness’ efforts is what our 104-year-old honey co-op of family beekeepers is all about,” said Kevin Hueser, President & CEO of the co-op.

“While we don’t expect the honey to sit around for very long, it’s nice to know that it doesn’t need to be refrigerated, and it has a multi-year shelf life.”

 

What else makes this honey donation unique?

• It took 5.6 million honeybees (each bee makes 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime) to create the nearly 2.5 tons (4,860 pounds) of honey donated today.

• That’s enough honey to spread across 4 basketball courts – talk about college basketball madness in March!

• And it’s also enough Sue Bee® for the honey portion of 40,000 peanut butter & honey sandwiches! 

 

Pollination Education

On Wednesday, the children at Coalition For Kids learned about worker bees and drones (and the queen bee), as well as how honeybees help with the pollination of so many of our everyday foods, such as almonds, melons and avocados.

While half of the children played “honeybees,” with their yellow cotton ball honeybees, the other half of the students portrayed “flowers” by holding cups filled with different colors of glitter. The children learned how bees carry pollen from flower to flower, and how cross-pollination happens as pollens mix.

“It was a fun exercise for our after-school kids,” said Randy Hensley, Executive Director at Coalition for Kids. “And the honey donation will help us provide nutritious snacks for the kids in our after-school programs, where we provide mentorship and educational support in a safe and nurturing environment.”

 

Sharing Sweetness

As a beekeeper-owned co-op, Sioux Honey has provided high-quality honey for more than a century. Through initiatives like the ongoing “Sharing Sweetness honey donation, Sioux Honey continues to support communities by sharing the natural benefits of honey.

“That’s why it was so important for us to partner with an organization that shares the same community values as we do, and we found that with Food City,” said Hueser. 

Honey is more than just a sweet treat – it offers nutritional benefits that can support children’s health and well-being.

“And that’s why Food City is so excited to be a part of making the donations happen this week,” said the grocer’s Kevin Stafford, Vice President of Marketing. “At Food City, we believe in giving back to the communities we serve, and this partnership with Sioux Honey Co-op aligns perfectly with our commitment to supporting local families. We are proud to be part of this initiative that provides nourishment and care for children in need.”

 

Boys & Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley

The Boys & Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley offers a wide range of programs designed to inspire and empower young people. From educational initiatives to after-school care, the organization serves as a safe haven where children can grow and thrive.

“We are thrilled to receive this donation,” said Bart McFadden, President & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley. “Honey is a versatile and nutritious ingredient that our kids can enjoy in healthy meals and snacks.”

 

Mountain Mission

Serving children from the Appalachian region and beyond, Mountain Mission School provides a stable home, high-quality education and mentorship for children in need. The school’s commitment to holistic care ensures that every child receives nutritious meals, academic support, and emotional guidance.

"It is an honor to be a benefactor of such a gift,” said Chris Mitchell, President at Mountain Mission School. "As a beekeeper myself, I understand the importance of this process of nature. Honeybee pollination is an essential part of the food production process that largely goes unnoticed."

 

More Sweetness to Share

Wednesday’s donations are just one of several donation efforts planned for the Sioux Honey Co-op in 2025. More donations will be coming later this summer following the honey harvest season.

“As beekeepers, we are passionate about not only producing pure, high-quality honey but also about giving back to the communities we serve,” said David Coy, a third-generation Sioux Honey Co-op beekeeper whose family tends to beehives in Perkinston, Miss., and Hebron, N.D.  “Knowing that our honey will provide nourishment and comfort to children in need makes this donation especially meaningful. It’s an honor for us.”

 

ABOUT SIOUX HONEY: In 1921, the Sioux Honey Co-op began as a small group of just five beekeepers. Located near Sioux City, Iowa, they shared equipment, marketing and processing facilities – all to help support one another. Today, Sioux Honey is still a co-op, but it has grown into 175+ beekeepers nationwide. Some have been members for decades – part of families who have passed down the trade for generations – and some have pioneered and started their own bee farms. But all of the members have a passion for producing a pure, quality product that customers can trust. And we’re proud to say we know each of our beekeepers by name, because we’ve learned that’s how you produce the best honey for more than a century.

ABOUT FOOD CITY: Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City’s parent company) operates 158 retail outlets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, north Georgia, and Alabama.

COALITION FOR KIDS: https://www.coalitionforkids.org

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS of the Tennessee Valley: https://bgctnv.org/

MOUNTAIN MISSION SCHOOL: https://mmskids.org