'Watermelon fuels athletes.'

Hello, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. "Watermelon fuels athletes" is a slogan of the SC Watermelon Association. Watermelon is 92% percent water and has all sorts of vitamins and amino acids, and naturally has carbohydrates that don’t come from sugar, unlike sports drinks. Our own watermelon queen visits schools all spring on field day and hands out fresh cut watermelon slices to the kids there—little and big. They’ve partnered with the Citadel to give football players watermelon juice after practice. But the big, big deal is handing out packages of watermelon chunks to the fastest runners --- this past year eighteen thousand cups at Charleston's Cooper River Bridge Run. And to make it more fun, the watermelon queens from other states come to help out. Watermelons are a big part of the agricultural economy for many southern states, here is is #8 in importance.